What Lies Within
by Bcool
Summary: Shego has a plan that she will stop at nothing to accomplish. Choices will be made and lives changed. In the end Kim and the others will have to face the truth, that the greatest enemy lies within. Rated T for violence, language and some adult situations. Pairings: Kim/Monique Bonnie/Shego Ron/Yori
1. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible. Kim Possible and the other characters are the property of Disney. This story is for entertainment purposes only and is not to be licensed, sold or used in anyway other way.

"What Lies Within"

A Kim Possible Fan Fiction

Based on the characters created by

Bob Schooley & Mark Mccorkle

Prolog

The fire burned. Flames leapt high into the night sky as if they were trying to reach the stars themselves. Red embers floated on the wind before they turned to ash and disappeared into the darkness. The inferno consumed what was left of a house. The second story was gone, already collapsed into the first floor. Kim lay in what used to be the front yard. Bits of debris was strewn around her some still glowing. The grass around her smoked blackened from the fire and stained red with fresh blood. Kim didn't move except for the rise and fall of her abdomen. Her breath was labored and each time she inhaled she felt a sharp pain. Dozens of superficial cuts and scrapes covered her body. Her eyes stared into the sky watching the flicker of the flames as they danced and played in the cool night air.  
"What Happened?" She asked herself. Suddenly she could not remember. She remembered Wade's call. She remembered getting dressed and heading out on a mission. But what was it? Where was she? Then she heard a noise over the flames and cracking wood. Sirens. Her breath caught. Bonnie. The Rockwallers. Kim had gone to save them, but when she got there... The sirens were getting closer. Ron was coming, but he was too late. They were all too late. She had failed. She wasn't used to failing. After all she was Kim Possible. She could do anything! But it was a lie. She was a lie. She couldn't save them. Another sharp pain struck her, but this one was not in her abdomen. It was lower. She looked down at her prone body and noticed something sticking out of her leg. It was long, jagged, and it rose three inches out of her thigh. Suddenly she could feel it. It was deep, the tip grated against her femur. Pain washed over her, consumed her. Her body was pulled into a state of shock. The sirens were close now, but they were late, too late. She tried to stay awake. She wanted to see Ron again. But she couldn't hold on any longer. Kim's eyes closed.


	2. Chapter 2

12 hours earlier.

Kim

Kim sat in the cafeteria. She rested her head in her hands and stared at her untouched plate. The food in the cafeteria of Middleton University was better then at the high school but not by much. However, it wasn't food that was bothering Kim. Her mind was full of dark troubled thoughts. Shego was still at large. She had left a trail of bodies from her cell to Northern Europe where she had disappeared. That was nearly six weeks ago. Wade had been looking for her. Global Justice(1), the CIA and Interpol hadn't been able to turn up a trace of her either. But, Kim didn't think Shego was in Europe. She couldn't explain it, but she felt it. There was no doubt in her mind. Shego was in the US. Kim turned to stare out the window. She was close.

"You alright KP?" Ron's voice broke her train of thought. Kim turned to Ron and forced a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Then, are you going to eat that?" Ron pointed at her tray. Kim pushed it toward him. "Take it." Ron grabbed the tray and pulled it toward him. He made short work of the food. Kim watched him oddly comforted by the sight. Ron must have noticed she was staring.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kim nodded. "Yeah, just tired I guess." Ron's gaze lingered for a moment. They stared at each other. Then Monique appeared beside Kim. Her tray clattered on the table.

"Sorry I'm late." She said. "I got held up in the hall."

"Bonnie again?" Kim already knew the answer.

"Yep." Monique nodded her head. "Of all the people I have to be teamed with." Monique started eating.  
Kim leaned in toward her and lowered her voice. "It could be worse, remember when you and Ron…"

Monique cringed. "Don't even go there girl." Monique glanced over at Ron. She saw the two trays in front of him and the empty table in front of Kim. Now she lowered her voice. "You gave Ron your food again." She whispered. Ron became aware of the closed conversation that had been created when Monique arrived, but he was used to it. He couldn't even pretend to be upset about it. He stacked the trays and stood.

"I'm heading out." He smiled.

"See you later." Kim smiled back. She watched Ron walk away. She jumped as Monique jabbed her in the ribs.

"Talk girl, why are you skipping meals again?" Kim turned to her. Monique's eyes narrowed and her lips pulled into a frown. Kim tried to look away but Monique's intense gaze pulled her into those dark brown eyes.

"I wasn't hungry." Kim lied.

"Not good enough, try again."

"It's cheer practice, it's right after lunch and I don't want to…"

"Kim!" Monique raised her voice loud enough that it attracted the attention of a couple nearby tables. Monique didn't seem to notice this, but it made Kim uncomfortable.

Monique had a special gift so few had. She could see past all her barriers and cut through all her B.S. It was something even Ron couldn't do, with a couple rare exceptions. Kim shifted her weight trying to think up a way out of this.

"I know you." Monique said. Kim sighed. Now it was impossible. She leaned back toward Monique and dropped her voice to a whisper again.

"Meet me after school. We'll talk then." The bell rang, loud and obnoxious, there was an eerie moment of silence that followed the bell. Then the noise resumed with the clattering of plastic trays and silverware.

"After school." Monique repeated. "Don't make me come find you." Kim smiled and nodded. She rose from the table and started for the exit. She froze. There it was again. That feeling. Kim turned to look out the window again. She was close. Kim considered asking Wade to do a scan of the school grounds. But, he'd just get agitated and lecture her about wasting time and resources. Because, of course, he wouldn't find anything, just like the first hundred times she asked him. Even so she couldn't shake the feeling... Shego was out there and she was watching.

Shego

Shego crept up on a grassy hill overlooking Middleton University. She brought a pair of binoculars to her eyes. She scanned the building. The windows. Searching for her target. Enrollment records confirmed that she was attending the school but Shego hadn't managed to find her. Perhaps she was sick. Shego glanced at the sky. The sun was high. It was passed Noon. She considered going to her targets house. She shook her head. Neighborhoods were a pain in the ass. There were too many windows and too many eyes. Shego sighed and looked through the binoculars again. There she was. At last Shego thought. The girl walked down a hallway with a group of other girls in cheerleading outfits. They turned into a room. The frosted glass windows indicated the room was a bathroom. Shego pressed a button in the casing of the binoculars. An infrared spectrum overlaid the lenses and she could see the silhouetted heat signatures of several girls. Then something hot began to fill the room and the heat signatures disappeared into the growing red haze. Shego tapped the casing lowering the binoculars slightly. It was a shower room; the hot water was interfering with the infrared. She placed the binoculars on the ground and moved quickly toward the building. When she reached it she flattened herself against the outer wall. She crept to a window and with the claw of her index finger carved out a small round hole. Shego peeked through into the shower room. A dozen figures darted about the space. Some girls took to showering in their underwear. Others were less bashful about there showering habits. After a moment or two Shego found her again. She walked, naked, to a shower. A stream of water flowed from the faucet over her head and covered her body. Shego studied her. Memorizing every inch, every movement. Then she sensed something move behind her. Shego spun and dropped to a crouch. A small dog stared back at her. Its tail wagged happily as it stared up at her. Shego stood upright again and nudged the animal away with her foot. Shego looked back into the shower room where the girl continued to shower. Shego sighed and moved away from the building. She was running out of time. The authorities would find her eventually and she wanted to be out of the country before anyone knew she had been there at all.

Ron

The bell rang. Students stood from their desks, scraping their chairs on the floor. Binders and textbooks were thrown into backpacks. Ron slid his pack over one shoulder and ambled out of the room. It was his last class and he was exhausted. He wanted to grab a bite to eat at Bueno Nacho and to chill out in front of a movie but he was preoccupied with thoughts about Kim. She had been acting wired that last week or so. Whenever he tried to ask her about it she just brushed the question off and changed the subject. He was pretty sure it had something to do with Shego's escape and disappearance but he didn't know why it was bothering her so much. This had become the routine over the last few years. They caught the villains, sent them to jail and then they'd escaped only to be caught again. He had gotten used to it and he thought Kim had too. Other villains had escaped recently but it didn't seem to affect her like this. Then again, Shego had always been a different case. She was the most intelligent, most dangerous enemy they had faced. Shego had a way of getting to Kim that was different from all the others. For a moment Ron wondered why Kim let Shego get under her skin. Kim always won, so she had nothing to prove. Or did she? Ron stopped walking. Shego kept coming back. She kept picking fights. She constantly attacked Kim's style, taste and intellect. No matter what Kim did or said or how many times she put Shego behind bars it was never good enough. She kept coming back. Ron sighed and started walking again. He needed to talk to Kim. He needed to let her know that she wasn't alone in all this. He wanted to help. Ron arrived at their usual meet up point. A niche where the wall and a staircase met, but Kim wasn't there. That was odd, Kim always got there before he did. Her last class was just a couple classrooms down. Ron searched the hallway but didn't see her. He walked over to the classroom where Kim spent her last class but it was empty. Ron huffed. He took out his cell phone and dialed her number.

"Hello?" He heard Kim's voice.

"Kim, where are you?" Ron asked.

"Oh Ron I'm sorry." Kim replied. "I'm with Monique. We're already off campus."

Ron walked to one of the exits and out into the sunlight.

"You want to meet up at Bueno Nacho?" Ron said.

"I can't, Monique and I need some girl time."

"Can I call you later?"

There was a pause. "Sure… I'll talk to you then. Bye." The line went dead. Ron stuffed the phone back into his pocket. He tried not to be jealous of Monique but sometimes she made it really difficult. Ron turned to see Rufus standing a few feet away in the grass. He was nose to nose with a small dog and they were yipping and chattering to each other. When Ron approached the dog ran off.

"Making friends little buddy?" Ron asked. Rufus crawled up to Ron's shoulder and chattered at him.

"What is it?" Ron asked. Rufus pointed at the dog.

"The dog?" Ron looked in the direction the animal had run off. Rufus nodded and then pointed at the school.

"I don't understand." Ron said. Rufus hopped up and down squeaking and chattering. Finally he collapsed, out of breath.

"Sorry, Kim's acting strange I need to consult some help." Ron said walking again.

(1) Global Justice is a worldwide law enforcement agency that Kim has worked with from time to time.


	3. Chapter 3

Kim

Kim set the Kimmunicator back into the outer pocket of her backpack. Wade had made her a couple variations on his original design. The wristband model she used in instances where she needed something more hands free. However, for day-to-day use Wade had melded the Kimmunicator with a cell phone and PDA. It came with a slew of apps Wade had written. Kim set the pack on the back seat and tried to ignore the look Monique kept throwing her from the driver's seat.

Finally she looked over at her. "What?"

"If you keep this up he's going to know something's wrong."

"I'm pretty sure he already does, but he hasn't said anything." Kim said slouching down into her seat. "Besides you're the one who wanted to talk this time." She added.

"Yeah well you're worrying me." Monique said. "And this is my one day off this week." Monique had continued working at Club Banana in addition to going to college. She was constantly busy but it afforded her some benefits. They pulled into the parking space in front of her apartment complex.

Monique had taken great lengths to infuse the small one-bedroom apartment with her own style and personality. Monique slipped her shoes off by the door and set her backpack down. They stood in the living area, which included an open kitchen and a bathroom. Monique's bedroom lay across from the bathroom on the other side of the apartment.

"You're so lucky." Kim said taking off her shoes.

"Don't start that again." Monique walked over to the kitchen. "You know full well I work by butt off for this place. Luck's got nothing to do with it."

Kim set her own pack down and flopped onto the couch. Monique emerged from the kitchen with a tray holding two diet sodas and a plate of cookies. Kim smiled. This was Monique's girl chat food.

"So are you ready to tell me what's up?" Monique asked.

"What do you mean what's up?" Kim said grabbing a can of soda.

"You've been skipping meals, stiffing Ron and acting like a zombie at school." Monique popped her soda open and took a sip. Kim's fingertip played around the rim of the aluminum can.

"It's kind of hard to explain."

"Try."

"You'll think I'm crazy." Kim sighed.

Monique shrugged. "Girl, I've thought that for years." This made Kim smile. She opened the can and took a sip.

"I've been having this feeling and no matter how much I try I can't shake it." Kim said.

"What kind of feeling?" Monique asked.

"I don't know…" Kim shook her head. "It's like this overwhelming sense of foreboding. Like something bad is about to happen." Monique leaned forward.

"Like what?"

"Like I said I don't know, but I think it has to do with Shego."

"Isn't Shego in another country?" Monique said.

"Everyone thinks she is."

"Everyone except you."

Kim frowned. "I keep feeling like she's close by." Kim raised her arms and hugged herself.

"Creepy." Monique said.

"Yeah, but every time I ask Wade to scan the area he doesn't find anything." There was a pause between the women. They each sipped from their cans. Finally Monique spoke.

"So it's all in your head then?"

"Wade thinks so…" Kim sighed. "And I wish I could just let it go but it keeps coming back."

"Have you told any of this to Ron?"

Kim shook her head.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to worry him." Kim said.

"You're lying." Monique blurted. "He's already worried about you, and you know it."

Kim looked down at the floor. It was true she knew Ron worried whenever she pulled away. When they first started dating he'd thought they were breaking up if they went a whole day without speaking. At first she thought it was cute but very quickly it lost its charm.

"So what's the real reason?" Monique pressed. Kim didn't answer for a long time. The only sound was the metallic popping of carbonated soda inside the cans.

"You have to swear to take this to your grave." Kim said finally. Monique leaned in further.

"You know you can trust me." She replied.

Kim took a deep breath.

Ron

Ron knocked twice of the dorm room door. He waited patiently and smiled when he heard the sound of wheals rolling up on the other side of the door. When it opened Felix(1) greeted him.

"Hey Ron, come on in." Felix rolled off to the side and allowed Ron to come into the room. Felix closed the door behind him and led him back into the dorm room. Felix was attending a big privet college in Uperton. He had received a full ride academic scholarship and was studying engineering.

"Uh oh, I know that look." Felix rolled over to his computer where EverLot(2) was running. Felix's character was riding on the back of some kind of gigantic bird. Felix checked its progress and turned off the monitor.

"Still playing that huh?" Ron asked.

"They just released a new expansion." Felix grabbed the box and showed it to Ron. "The Witch Princess of New Forest" The title declared. The cover of the box was filled with an image of an evil but attractive overly buxom Elf witch sitting on a throne holding a wand or scepter or something. For some reason female elves in those games never wore much more then a strip club dancer Ron thought.

He shook his head. "You're not going to get me to join."

"Why not, it's an awesome game." Felix beamed.

"I'll tell you the story sometime."

Felix shrugged. "Right, you're here because of Kim"

Ron sat on Felix's bed. "Is it that obvious?"

Felix shot him a sarcastic look.

"Okay, it started a couple weeks ago…"

Kim

"Ron and I were in Europe trying to track down Shego when we got word that Signor Senior Sr. was up to something." Kim said. She told Monique that Senior had also been trying to find Shego. Despite the substantial amount of resources he had committed to doing so he had yet to locate her. However, it had gotten Wade's attention. Kim and Ron headed for the Senior's island to dissuade him from his current course of action. As it turned out, he had been expecting them.

Kim dropped to the ground from the security wall. Ron landed beside her a moment later. They kept to the shadows and made their way to a back entrance. Kim plugged her Kimmunicator into the pad next to the door and had Wade bypass the security. Inside the room diverged into two hallways.

"You take that one." Kim pointed to the right hall.

"You want to split up?" Ron asked alarmed.

"Divide and conquer." Kim said and pointed again. Ron sighed and started down the hall. Kim quickly made her way down the left hall. She came out into a big room. It was empty and there was no sign of Senior's usual traps. To her right another doorway opened into the room. It seemed as though the hall Ron took should have led him to the same place. However, Ron was nowhere to be seen.

"Something's not right." Kim murmured.

"Ah, how true, how true." A voice said from above. Kim looked up to see Senior Sr. standing on a platform ten feet above her.

"Greetings Kim Possible." Senior Sr. smiled and leaned on his cane. Kim shifted her weight to her back foot.

"I've been expecting you." Senior Sr. said.

"What do you mean?" Kim scowled.

"You don't think you are here by accident do you?" His smiled grew. "I left an obvious enough trail to bring you here." His words slithered from his lips like a snake and coiled themselves around her neck.

"You wanted us to come?" Kim asked.

"Indeed I did, though I did not think you would have come if I merely asked nicely."

"What do you want from us?"

"I need you to find that feisty green woman for me." Senior Sr. said as casually as me might ask for his dry cleaning.

"And you think I'll do that because you asked nicely?" Kim scoffed. Senior Sr. shook his head.

"Of course not my dear." He held up a remote and pressed a button on it. From the ceiling a large machine descended into the room. It looked like a modern take on an ancient torture device. It was rigged with leather straps and cylinders covered in metal spikes. As it came into view Kim gasped. Ron was strapped to it.

"I have a simple offer to make you." Senior shouted over the rumble of the descending machine. It came to rest a few feet from the floor.

"Bring me the villainess and I will release your friend. Refuse and take him home in a trash bag."

Kim looked the machine over. If activated a series of pulleys and gears would pull Ron apart before the spiked columns pulverized what was left. Kim felt the force of sheer panic tear through her. Her heart beat against her chest and blood pounded in her ears. She stared at Ron weighing her options, running different courses of action with their possible outcomes. She didn't trust Senior Sr. for an instant but at the moment he held an advantage. She had to take that advantage back.

Ron

"She just stood there." Ron said. "Then all of a sudden she was holding this thing that looked like lipstick." A laser beam arced from the tip and sliced through the restraints that held him to the torture device. He fell flat on his face and was knocked unconscious. When he finally came to, Senior was in custody.

"The whole way back Kim didn't say a word. I thought she was mad at me, for getting captured." Ron took a deep breath.

"But, when she dropped me off she gave me this big hug, kissed me and told me she loved me."

"So she wasn't mad?" Felix asked.

Ron shook his head. "No, but since we got back she's been distant and spends most of her free time with Monique." Ron said.

"Maybe she just needs some time. Girls are funny like that." Felix smiled.

"I've known Kim since kindergarten" Ron said. "Something is bothering her, but she won't talked to me about it." Felix was silent. Ron ran a hand through his hair.

Kim

"So why aren't you talking to him? Monique asked. Kim bit her lip and didn't answer for a while. "This is the part you have to promise to keep to yourself."

"You have my word." Monique nodded

"I'm afraid I can't do this anymore."

"Do what?" Monique said.

"See, Senior knew exactly how to get at me. If I hadn't brought Wade's laser lipstick with me I don't know what I would have done." Kim closed her eyes and held herself. Monique moved closer to her and placed a hand on her back.

"But you did have it, you saved him." She said.

"This time, but what about next time, or the time after that? What happens when I don't have the perfect gadget or combat maneuver?" Kim said.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I don't want to lose Ron, I can't keep being his girlfriend and his partner." Kim exhaled. She had finally said it, the thoughts, and the fears that had been plaguing her for the past two weeks. She finally said them out loud, verbally acknowledged them to another soul. Kim looked at Monique. She had leaned backward slightly. Her eyes were closed and her lips were pulled into an even line.

"This doesn't surprise you at all, does it?" Kim asked. Monique shook her head and looked her.

"I thought it might happen." She said, her tone almost apologetic.

"Since when?"

"Since you started going out." Monique winced like she were preparing for a blow.

"You didn't tell me that." Kim said.

"Would you have listened?" Monique phrased it as a question, but it was clear she already knew the answer and she was right. If Monique had tried to tell her what she had just confessed, she wouldn't have listened. She had been positive she could balance saving the world and her relationship with Ron. After all she was Kim Possible… she could do anything. Her long time motto and website slogan seemed to ring a little hollow at the moment. Kim's head fell into her hands. Monique gently rubbed her back, massaging her stressed muscles.

"What should I do?" Kim asked her best friend.

"If you can't do both, then you need to decided which Ron you want most." Monique paused. "The partner or the boyfriend." Kim knew she was right. However, she doubted it would be so easy. If she tried to break off their partnership he'd just follow her anyway, even when it meant following her into danger. If she ended their relationship it would have repercussions that would hurt their ability to work together. It seemed like a lose/lose sitch no matter how she looked at it.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Monique asked. This brought a smile to Kim's face.

"That would be great, thanks." The two of them hugged. Kim noticed Monique was holding tighter then she usually did, but she didn't think anything of it at the time.

* * *

Shego

She reclined in a worn red leather chair. A television stood before her tuned to a 24-hour cable news station. A panel of people sat around a table and debated the latest sex scandal in Washington. Shego wasn't paying much attention to it. She was focused on filling the titanium claws in her cloves. As she did so she ran through her plan again, testing it for weaknesses that could be exploited. She also had contingencies that could be called on incase something went wrong and something always went wrong. No plan was fool proof. Anyone who claimed to have all the angles covered was a fool. There were always unknowns, variables impossible to account for. The success of a plan did not lie in how well thought out it was but in it's adaptability. Over her years as a mercenary Shego had learned that adaptability was her greatest asset next to her instincts. The operation had little room for error one snag and everything could be compromised. She wouldn't allow that to happen. There was too much at stake.

The talking heads on the television shifted their discussion. The new topic was world famous teen hero Kim Possible and her growing rouge gallery. Shego paused from her grooming and sat up straight.

"Kim Possible is not a hero." One man said. "She's a vigilantly who takes the law into her own hands."

The woman with blond hair and blue eyes spoke up to challenge the statement. "But she's saved hundreds of lives."

"And how many lives has she destroyed?" The man huffed. The moderator of the group stepped in and asked the man to clarify what he meant.

"She beats up people she sees as bad and because she operates outside due process half the crimes aren't convictable and the perpetrators are back on the street with no recourse but to return to crime." The man kept his hands folded in front of him and spoke with a clinical coldness.

"As opposed to being in prison?" The woman shot back. The man leaned forward in his seat and a title card appeared at the bottom of the screen with his name and title. Dr. Calvin Grim PHD. His doctorate was apparently in psychology.

"We have numerous ways in which we can help these poor souls if they were in a proper facility." He said in a condescending voice. The woman continued to argue with him. Shego was bored. She sat back in her chair and resumed filing her claws. She stuck Dr. Calvin Grim's name in the back of her mind. She thought she might pay him a visit and have a talk about causal relationships. She wanted to see how superior and condescending he'd be as a charred corpse. However, that would have to wait. Right now she had to make her first real move. Shego checked the time and stood from her chair. The next few hours would be the most crucial but if she succeeded nothing would be able to stop her.

* * *

1 Felix is the son of one of Mr. Doctor Possible's co-workers and a friend of Ron's. He first appeared in Season 2 episode 31 "Motor Ed".

2 EverLot is an MMORPG that appeared in Season 2 episode 10 "Vir-Tu-Ron".


	4. Chapter 4

Kim

Kim awoke with a jolt. She was lying on the couch in Monique's apartment. She was so glad Monique had offered to let her stay the night. She couldn't explain it but Monique's place just felt like home, even more then her own house. The Kimmunicator beeped from the outer pocket of her backpack. The time on Monique's Blueray player read 11:14pm. The Kimmunicator beeped again. Kim reached for her bag and pulled it close.

"It's almost midnight, what is it Wade?" Kim asked rubbing her eyes.

"Something bad." Wade said. "Really bad." Kim sat up straight as a burst of adrenalin pumped her up to full alertness.

"What's the sitch?"

"GJ just got a tip that someone is targeting the Rockwaller family." Wade said.

"Who would want to hurt them?" Kim pulled her mission clothes from her backpack and stood up.

"Don't know, but GJ believes they're in imminent danger."

"Do they have anyone in the area?" Kim asked.

"No one closer then you." Wade replied.

"Then I'll evac them to a safe location."

"GJ's got a safe house for them in Lowerton."

Kim ended the call and activated her car's self-driving app. She quickly stripped off the pajamas Monique had lent her and dawned her mission outfit. Kim folded the pajamas and the blanket and laid them together with the pillow. She looked toward Monique's bedroom. Monique would worry if she weren't there when she woke up. But, if she woke her and told her what was happening she'd worry anyway. Kim decided the less she knew the better, at least for now. Then Kim noticed Monique's door was slightly cracked. That was odd she would have sworn the door was closed earlier. She shrugged it off, there were more pressing matters on her mind. She opened and closed the front door as quietly as possible and walked out into the parking lot where her car was waiting for her.

Kim drove down the street ten miles and hour over the limit. She would have driven faster but she feared getting pulled over. She had helped nearly every officer on the force at one time or another and was sure she wouldn't get a ticket. However, it would slow her down even more and she couldn't afford that. She reached out to the Kimmunicator, which rested in a holster stuck to the windshield. Wade's image materialized on the screen.

"Any luck?" Kim asked. She had asked him to call ahead to the Rockwaller's. Warn them so they would be ready to move when she got there.

"Sorry but the number's been disconnected!" Wade said.

"Damn." Kim beat her fist against the dashboard.

"What's you ETA?"

"Ten minutes tops." Kim said.

"Alright, Ron called emergency services and is going to meet you there." Wade typed at his console.

"Thanks Wade." Kim forced a smile.

"Let me know when you get there." Wade said.

"Will do." Kim ended the call.

* * *

Shego

She crouched under a tree that stood next to the Rockwaller's house. She watched and waited. If everything was going according to plan then she had a little less then ten minutes left. GJ should have already alerted Kim Possible's tech nerd, which meant she should be well on her way. It didn't matter. Kim was the last thing she was worried about. She wasn't the real threat. Incompetence and arrogance were her real enemies. This whole operation was like trying to walk the edge of a knife. One small slip, even an imperceptible one could end everything. Shego rose from her crouch and stood to her full height. She hoped the bomb would detonate before Kim got there. She didn't really want to see her Kimmy become collateral damage, but it was a risk she was willing to take. No, a risk she had to take. Choice was often an illusion suggested by hindsight. There was only the straight path ahead. That was all that mattered. No one seemed to understand that. Drakken certainly never did and neither did Kim Possible. Shego could admit Kimmy's physical prowess matched her own, but when it came to brains it was clear who came out on top. She had tried to educate the red headed cheerleader on a couple of occasions. However, you couldn't teach someone who didn't want to learn. It was a shame. Shego had often thought Kim would make the perfect partner. Together they could have been unstoppable. It was a foolish dream that proved to be wrong anyway. She had found something else, something better, and she would stop at nothing until she had it. Shego looked up and saw her target pass in front of the window above her. Shego took a quick glance around. The windows of the surrounding houses were dark, the shades and blinds drawn. Shego checked her watch again. It was time.

* * *

Kim

Kim turned down the Rockwaller's street and risked adding more speed. Houses whipped by her window in a blur. The bad feeling that had been plaguing her was more acute. Something wasn't right about this. She still couldn't think of any reason someone would want to hurt the Rockwallers. It could be some kind of set up. Though that didn't make much sense either. A set up by who and for what? She didn't know but she felt Shego was behind this. She couldn't tell anyone though. They would think she was just crying wolf again and she didn't have evidence to prove them wrong.

Still, she was rushing into a situation that warranted more consideration. It felt like running through a mind field blindfolded and naked. Every step was potentially deadly and she was waiting for the boom. As she approached the Rockwaller's house she slammed on the break and skidded to a halt in front of the driveway. Kim shot from her car, leaving it in the street and ran for the house. She called Wade.

"I'm here, tell GJ tha…" There was a flash of light and then the house disappeared in a fireball. The force of the explosion sent Kim flying backward. She landed in the front lawn, 20 feet away. Bits of flaming debris landed around her. She tried to move but her body didn't respond. She coughed and tasted blood. Her body sank into depths of pain she had never experienced before. She heard sirens in the distance getting closer. Ron was coming but he was too late.

* * *

Ron

Ron paced the ER waiting room at Middleton General Hospital. Kim's family and Monique were in the waiting room also. They sat together in a corner. While they waited to hear from a doctor Ron's mind replayed the last few hours over and over. He had talked with Felix for a while and still came no closer to unraveling the Kim mystery. They had however come up with a plan. Felix convinced him to confront Kim more directly. Ron feared doing so would only push her away, but it was the right thing to do. If that didn't work he'd have to find a way to get Monique to tell him. It was late when he got back to Middleton. Kim didn't answer her cell and her family said she wasn't home. That meant she was at Monique's again. He decided it would be better to talk when they were both rested so he went home to get some sleep. He had just showered and was about to get into bed when Wade called. He said Bonnie's family was in trouble, Kim was on her way but might need back up. Ron called emergency services just in case they needed them. He rode with members of the fire department, EMS and police to Bonnie's house. He was ridding with an older man, the name on his uniform said "Jackson." He drove one of the two fire trucks, following behind an EMS vehicle, their lights and sirens blazing. They were still on the expressway when something lit up the sky for a brief moment.

Despite the noise Ron heard Jackson swear under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked.

"That flash looked like it was from an explosion."

"Are you sure?" Ron's stomach sank.

"Son, I was in the Marines for 12 years before I was a fireman." Jackson said never taking his eyes off the road. The last leg of the trip seemed to take forever. When they arrived he saw Jackson had been right. The Rockwaller's home was gone. Only part of the first floor was left and the fire was so hot Ron could feel it from inside the truck. Ron stepped out onto the sidewalk as the firemen and EMS workers scurried around their vehicles. He heard one of them say something about a car blocking the driveway. When he turned and looked he saw Kim's car. The driver's door was sitting open. He ran over to it and looked in. The car was empty. The keys were still in the ignition and the warning chime dinged incessantly. Ron came around the front of the car.

"Kim!" He yelled as loud as he could muster. But, the roar of the flames and the crackling of wood drowned him out.

"Kim!" He yelled again franticly scanning the area. Rufus climb from his pocket to the ground and added his eyes to the search. Ron felt someone grab his arm from behind.

"You're going to need to step back sir." He heard Jackson's voice. Ron pulled his arm free and took a step toward the inferno. Rufus jumped around in a circle chattering and squeaking. Ron scooped him up in his hand. "What is it buddy?"

"Kim!" Rufus squeaked and pointed energetically. Ron's gaze followed the direction Rufus pointed and he saw her. She was laying motionless in the front yard. Wood and bits of melted vinyl siding were strewn around her.

"Kim!" Ron lurched forward but Jackson grabbed him and held him back.

"It's too dangerous." Jackson shouted. Ron struggled against him but couldn't break free. Jackson turned his head toward the EMS workers.

"We got one!" He barked and pointed at Kim. Two of them ran over to her. One carried a black bag with the word "emergency" on the side. They knelt in the grass, one on each side of her. The one on her left lowered his ear to her mouth. He looked up and nodded, she was breathing. Ron stopped fighting Jackson. He stood and stared as the EMS guys continued their assessment of Kim. Around him firemen tested their hoses and jets of water sprayed into the night air. A third EMS worker join the first two pushing a gurney in front of her. They collapsed the gurney to the ground and two of them lifted Kim onto it. The gurney was raised back up and the three of them brought her back toward the vehicles. As Kim passed him he saw how bad she looked. She was covered with cuts, scrapes and burns. A jagged piece of wood stuck out of her left thigh and her clothes were stained with blood. He watched them load Kim into the ambulance. They wouldn't let him ride with her so he had taken Kim's car and followed them to the hospital.

Ron was suddenly aware that Rufus was chattering at him. He looked up in time to see a man in a set of greens walk toward them. Kim's parents stood and the doctor came up to them.

"She's going to be alright." He said first. There was an audible sigh of relief from each of them. Including the naked mole rat atop Ron's shoulder.

"The injury to her leg was the worst of it. It will require at least six to eight weeks to heal and she may need to commit to several additional weeks of physical therapy." The doctor said. The weight of this fell on them. Kim's Mom grabbed on to her husband, who put his arm around her. The twins were silent and Monique didn't move except to wrap her arms around herself.

* * *

Bonnie

Bonnie opened her eyes and her gaze met an unfamiliar ceiling. Wooden beams formed triangle shaped joists that ran the length of the room. Bonnie sat up and was hit with a wave of dizziness and nausea. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and doubled over until it passed. She was in a twin-sized bed with emerald green sheets. The frame was wood also. She pulled the sheet away from her body to confirm another discovery. She was naked. Where was she and how had she gotten there? The last thing she remembered was talking to Tera on the phone. Someone must have abducted her and taken her clothes. The thought made Bonnie shudder. She had read news reports of women being abducted and most didn't have happy endings. Bonnie was determined that she wasn't going to become another tragic headline. She swung her legs off the bed and stood. The vertigo returned for a moment and she grabbed a bedpost to steady herself. She took the bed sheet, wrapped it around herself, and tucked it in creating a makeshift gown. There was a window next to the head of the bed. She glanced out of it. She was on a second story. All she could see were trees, which meant she was outside the city. Bonnie went to the door, tried the knob, and found it locked. To her left a doorway opened to a small bathroom. There was no door in the frame and the shower had no curtain. Bonnie opened the cabinet under the sink. All she found was an aerosol air freshener and drain cleaner. Bonnie took the air freshener and read the contents label. It wasn't really an effective weapon but it would do.

She returned to the bedroom and glanced over at the window again. It didn't have a lock and the bed sheets might make an adequate rope. Of course that would require her to scale the side of a strange house completely naked. Bonnie shook her head. She had to come up with a better strategy. She was about to sit down on the bed when the lock clicked and the door opened. Bonnie found herself facing a woman. She was close to 6 feet tall with jet-black hair that came to the middle of her back. She wore a green and black jump suit with black gloves. Bonnie wasn't expecting this. In the stories she had read the perpetrator was always a perverted old man. The woman stepped toward her. Bonnie shook off her surprise and brought the aerosol can up in front of her.

"Don't move or I swear you'll be blind before you know what happened!" She said in the strongest voice she could muster. Bonnie saw a blur of movement and the next thing she knew she was on her back. The woman stood over her holding the aerosol can. She read the label and then tossed the can aside. Bonnie had barely seen her move. She got up into a crouch and tried to break for the door. The woman grabbed a trailing edge of fabric and yanked hard. She snapped backward, the sheet gave and sent her tumbling naked onto the bed. Bonnie drew her legs in and covered herself with her hands. The woman came toward her holding the sheet.

"Stay away!" Bonnie yelled. The woman continued unfazed. Bonnie curled up tighter.

"I said stay away you sick bitch!" In a single smooth motion, the woman drew the bed sheet around her shoulders.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." The woman said. Bonnie looked at the sheet a moment and pulled it closed in front of her.

"Who are you?" Bonnie asked.

"My name is Shego."

"You brought me here?"

"Yes." Shego replied.

"Why?" Bonnie said.

"I know you have a million questions but they can wait. For now, take a shower. I'll set out some clothes for you and have a meal ready when you're done." Shego turned and left the room, she closed the door behind her and the lock slid back into place.

Bonnie didn't move for a few minutes. Her mind raced trying to make sense of everything. Her captor was a woman. Bonnie considered that she might be working for the real culprit, the perverted old man. But something told her this Shego person didn't work for anyone but herself. The way she dressed, carried herself and spoke conveyed power and authority. Any association she'd be apart of would be totally by choice. Did that change anything? For some reason she hadn't felt threatened by Shego. Intimidated perhaps but Bonnie believed she was not going to harm her. After all, there was no telling how long she had been here. She was naked and defenseless and Shego had not tried anything. Bonnie didn't take orders well but she decided she could do with a shower and some food. But, she would want something for her compliance. Shego would have to give her some answers.

* * *

Shego

She descended the staircase and went at once to the bags of clothing sitting on a chair in the living room. She took out a black t-shirt and a pair of denim jeans. Out of a second bag she retrieved a bra, underwear and a black leather belt. These she took back to Bonnie's bedroom and laid them on the bed. She stopped for just a moment. Bonnie was in the bathroom taking a shower. Shego watched the girl's reflection in the mirror. Bonnie's eyes closed and she smiled faintly. It would be the last smile Shego would see on her lips for a long time. Shego left the room, leaving the door unlocked and returned to the first floor. In the kitchen, she pulled a bagged salad from the refrigerator. She filled a bowl with the salad, placed it on the table with a low fat dressing and a glass of water. Shego then went to her desk on the other side of the living room. She brought up half a dozen news sites on her laptop and scanned them for reports on the bombing. As she did, her mind began to wonder. Phase one was complete and had gone perfectly.

She had been hiding in the shadows beneath a tree. Above her on the second story of the house was Bonnie's bedroom. She could see Bonnie pace back and forth in front of the window. Bonnie wore a man's football jersey and held a cordless phone to her ear. Shego tossed a small pebble at the window. The sound drew Bonnie's attention. She looked out her window. Shego stepped out partially revealing herself. Bonnie saw her and opened the window. She leaned part way out and yelled down at her. "Get out of here or I call the cops you pervert!" Shego smiled and raised the tranquilizer gun aiming it at her. Bonnie saw it and recoiled. She fired a dart and it struck Bonnie in her left shoulder. The sedative quickly took effect. The girl lost her balance, pitched forward and fell out of her bedroom window. Shego was there to catch her at the bottom. Shego looked at the girl in her arms. She wouldn't remember any of this. The sound of a car speeding down the road drew Her attention. Shego placed the unconscious girl over her shoulder and ran. She had just reached her transport when she heard the blast and felt the concussive shockwave as it swept through the ground. The getaway proved to be the easiest part.

Shego refocused her attention and went back to scanning news sites. There was very little information in the reports. She would need some hard facts to make her plan work. Shego opened her email client and drafted a message. It was a risk, to use her contact inside GJ this early in the game. However, it was less risky then the alternatives. She had considered bringing in a computer tech to hack the information from GJ's system. She even knew a brilliant hacker she had met in Sweden some years back.(1) She was intelligent, methodical and deadly. She also suffered from an antisocial disorder, which could make her a touch unpredictable. Shego could not tolerate such a free radical in this operation. That left a more direct route to getting the information she needed. Shego sent the email and then heard footsteps on the stairs behind her. Shego turned to face Bonnie. The clothes fit perfectly and looked good on her.

"There's salad and water on the table." Shego said. Bonnie glanced at the front door for a moment, then to the table. She must have been hungry because the food won out. Shego walked over to the table, as Bonnie was drizzling dressing over her salad.

"I hope that's okay." Shego said sitting at the opposite end of the table. Bonnie ate a fork full of greens and nodded. Shego smiled, she already knew what the young brunette's diet consisted of but she had to play dumb for now. It was important that Bonnie believed she knew a lot less about her then she truly did. Bonnie quickly finished the salad and emptied the glass of water. Then she fixed her eyes on Shego.

"What am I doing here?" She commanded.

"This may not be the best time…"

"Answer my question damn it!" Bonnie stood from her seat. Shego raised her hands in surrender.

"I rescued you." Shego said.

"Rescued me?" Bonnie snapped. "From what?"

"You were in danger."

"You're dodging the question." Bonnie growled.

"Fine, no more egg shells." Shego stood and rested against the table. Her eyes narrowed.

"Your family is dead." Shego said it with more force than she meant. Bonnie blinked once then her eyes filled with anger. "You're lying."

"I'm not." Shego shook her head. "There was a bomb in your house. I tried to save your family but you were the only one I could get out in time." It was a lie, but a necessary one. Though now that she had told it she had to make sure Bonnie never learned the truth. The younger woman was shaking, her hands drawn into fists.

"No." She shouted. "No, it's not possible, you're lying!" Without a word Shego strolled to the computer and pulled up the news sites she had been looking through.

"See for yourself." Shego gestured toward the computer. Bonnie hesitantly followed her. She leaned over the desk and began to read.

* * *

(1) This is a reference to Lisbeth Salander from the "Girl With…" novels.


	5. Chapter 5

Ron

Ron sat next to Kim's hospital bed. She had been moved out of the intensive care unit into a normal room, but she was still unconscious. Kim's mom had been called into work. Her father had to take the twins home to put them to bed and Monique was asleep on the sleeper sofa on the other side of the room. Rufus was likewise resting in his cargo pocket. Ron however, was fighting sleep. A million thoughts had been running rampant. Wade had called him with the preliminary police report. Traces of C4 had been found as well as pieces of the bomb casing. The remains of 5 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage. They were in such bad shape the task of identifying them would be difficult if not impossible. At the moment the authorities believed the whole Rockwaller family had perished in the blast. Ron found it difficult to wrap his mind around it. Bonnie and her whole family were gone in the blink of an eye. On top of it all Kim had been injured. Worse then she ever had before and it could have been worse. If she had been any closer to the house she would have been killed. All things considered it was a miracle, but it didn't feel like a miracle. He hadn't been with her. Ron blinked. His eyelids felt heavy. He wanted to stay awake, wanted to watch over Kim. But, he was exhausted. Physically, mentally and emotionally spent. His eyes closed for a longer period and when he opened them again he was not in the hospital room. Instead he stood on the peak of a mountain. Dense fog covered the ground and curled around his calves. The place looked familiar somehow though he couldn't place it.

"Stoppable-san." Ron spun in the direction of the voice. Yori sat on the ground, poised in a meditative stance. The fog obscured her up to her chest. Seeing her there triggered his memory. He had seen this place before. He was on the crest of Mt. Yamanouchi.

"Yori, what's going on? How did I get here?" Ron stepped toward her. The young woman stood and bowed. "You initiated a dream-meet."

"Let's pretend I don't know what that is?"

Yori grinned and suppressed a giggle.

"It is when two people become connected in a dream like state. In involves highly focused concentration and years of training." Yori tilted her head to the side. "I was not aware you could use such a technique."

"I can't, I thought you did this." Ron said. Yori shook her head.

"No Stoppable-san, your spirit reached out to mine." She said. Ron didn't understand it. He never even heard of a dream-meet before. How could he have done this?

"There have been times when such techniques were triggered by intense desperation. Has something bad happened?" Yori asked.

"Kim is hurt and some people are dead." Ron said.

"You feel responsible for this?"

"I feel like I should have done more." Ron threw his hands in the air.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I wasn't strong enough." Ron said. Yori stared at him for a long time. He felt she could see right through him.

"Then you know what you must do." She said and bowed again. The fog quickly rose until he couldn't see anything.

"Yori!" Ron yelled, but there was no reply. The fog dissipated and he was back in the hospital room. Everything was just as it had been. Had it just been a dream or had he actually spoken to Yori just now? He wasn't sure. Real or not it had helped him clear his mind. He knew what he had to do now. Ron looked at Kim as she slept. He wanted to be someone Kim could count on. He was tired of being the distraction, of always being the one that needed saving. He wanted to save Kim for once, to rescue her from the jaws of certain death. But he couldn't, not as he was now. Ron stood and looked at Kim. He wanted so much to be there when she woke up but this couldn't wait. The bomber was still out there, Shego was still out there.

"I don't know if you can here me." Ron spoke to the unconscious red head. "But, I'll be back, I promise." Ron took a deep breath, turned and walked out of the hospital room.

* * *

Bonnie

It wasn't possible. This woman, Shego was lying, she had to be. That's what Bonnie told herself. But, then she began reading the news reports. Website after website and article after article only confirmed what Shego had said. At approximately 11:25 pm the previous night an explosion destroyed her family home. Five persons were confirmed dead. Their identities had not been confirmed but it was believed the whole Rockwaller family perished. The authorities were not commenting on what caused the deadly blast but preliminary reports indicated that it was not the result of an accident. Bonnie sat in the office chair. She was utterly numb; she couldn't even make herself cry. Slowly the feelings came, bubbling to the surface. There was pain over the loss but something else crept within her. Something far more sinister then she thought herself capable of. She felt free. No more sisters rubbing her face in the dirt. No more lectures about Rockwaller family traditions. No more unattainable expectations. She knew these feelings would damn her one-day, but for the moment they were a source of strength. She embraced them. Bonnie reread the report in front of her.

"It says five people died." Bonnie turned toward Shego. "You saved me so, who's the fifth person?"

"One of your sister's friends, I think."

Bonnie processed. "Lonnie said something about working with a friend from design school."

"They were in your sisters room." Shego said.

"How do you know that?"

"I did a thermal scan of your house trying to located the bomb." Shego replied.

"You knew there was a bomb?" Anger bit in to Bonnie's voice. Shego still knew a lot more then she was saying. She was still holding out.

"Yes and I tried to stop it." Shego's posture hardened, as did her tone. Bonnie stared at her waiting for more. Shego stared back for while before speaking. "The bomb had a mercury trigger and a failsafe. There was no way to disarm it."

"So you tried to get us out before it blew."

Shego nodded. "That's right."

"My parents bedroom was on the first floor." Bonnie's eyes searched back and forth. "Why didn't you get them out first?"

"There wasn't time."

"You had to pass their room to get up stairs." Bonnie was almost yelling. Shego's story didn't add up, something stank.

"I didn't save you by accident." Shego sighed.

"You chose me."

"Yes." Now it made sense. What was happening was not chance or luck. Shego meant to save her above all else, now there was just one piece missing.

"Why?" Bonnie demanded. Once again Shego paused. Looking as if everything were moving too fast for her. She shifted her weight back and forth.

"I'm not keeping things from you Bonnie." Shego said. "There is a lot you aren't ready for yet."

Bonnie didn't like other people telling her what she could and couldn't handle. She usually took it as a challenge to prove them wrong.

"Bullshit, I want to know why you save me." Bonnie repeated.

* * *

Kim

She slowly became aware of noises first. There was music playing and a voice speaking over an intercom. Kim opened her eyes. She was in a hospital room. The TV across the room was tuned into a digital music station. She scanned the room. It was empty save for one person. Monique sat in a chair at her bedside. She was leaning over with her head resting on the bed. Her back rose and fell rhythmically. Kim smiled. She was asleep. Kim took stock of herself. She had a single IV in her left wrist. The bag had normal saline in it. Several parts of her body were wrapped in gauze with reddish brown stains. She felt a flutter of movement next to her. Monique stirred and sat up blinking lazily. But, when she saw Kim she jumped forward and tackled her.

"Kim." She shouted. "Your awake!" Kim winced and let out a small cry of pain. Monique immediately retreated to her chair.

"I'm so sorry!" Monique brought her hands to her mouth. Kim forced a smile through the pain.

"Be gentle with me." She wheezed.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so glad to see you awake."

"It's okay." Kim waved her hand. She looked around the room again.

"Where's my family?"

"Your Dad had a meeting he couldn't cancel and your mom had to take your brothers to school." Monique explained.

"School? How long have I been out?"

"A day and a half." Kim took this in. It was always disconcerting to be told you had lost a chunk of time. The longer the period the more uncomfortable it was.

"Did Bonnie's house really blow up?" Kim asked. Monique nodded.

"Are they all…" Monique nodded again before she could finish.

"All of them?"

"I'm sorry Kim." Was all Monique could manage to say. Kim saw signs of fatigue and exhaustion on her best friend. She wondered how long she had been at her side. Then it hit her.

"Ron." Kim said. "Where's Ron?" Monique didn't answer. She looked at the floor and pursed her lips.

Kim felt her pulse quicken as a wave of anxiety washed over her.

"Don't tell me something happened to Ron."

"I… I don't know what happened to him." Monique said.

"What?" Kim raised her voice. Monique took a moment to compose herself and then looked Kim in the eye. "Ron's disappeared. Wade's been trying to track him down but there's been no sign of him."

"You mean he's been abducted?"

"No, Wade said Ron was trying to get in touch with some of your travel contacts." Monique said.

"Why would he do that?" Kim said herself.

"Where ever Ron is, Wade thinks he's there intentionally." Monique said. There was a bite of anger in her voice but Kim didn't notice, she was absorbed in her thoughts. Ron had left on purpose. Where was he and why would he leave her now? It didn't make any sense. She felt Monique's eyes on her and returned her gaze.

"Have you been here the whole time?"

Monique nodded again.

"How'd you get them to let you stay past visiting hours?" Kim asked.

"I have my ways." Monique smiled.

"Well I'm glad." Kim smiled back at her.

"I should go let the nurse know you've woken up." Monique stood and headed for the door.

"Monique?" Kim said. She stopped and turned.

"Thank you." Kim said. Monique nodded gently and left the room.

* * *

Shego

"Why did you save me?" Bonnie stared her down. Shego hated to admit it but she had underestimated the girl. She had thought the loss of her family would hit her much harder. Instead it almost seemed to empower her. She was pressing hard demanding answers Shego wasn't ready to give. She feared telling her too much too fast would ruin all the hard work she had done. However, not telling her would also be dangerous. Shego needed to gain Bonnie's trust; it was essential to everything that would follow. She had shown an incredible amount of resilience so far. Shego decided to chance it. If Bonnie couldn't take the weight of what she wanted to show her it would be better to know sooner then later.

"Most people in this world are ordinary, weak." Shego took a step toward her and raised her hands.

"Then there are some who possess something… extraordinary." Shego's hands erupted with green energy. Bonnie stood and backed away from her.

"Some gain these abilities by accident." Shego extinguished the energy and walked toward Bonnie.

"Others come by them more honestly." Bonnie planted a foot behind her and shifted her balance. With a sudden burst of agility and speed Bonnie turned and went straight for the door. Shego cursed silently, it was too much for her after all. Bonnie pulled the door open and ran outside. Shego walked after her. She didn't need to rush, Bonnie couldn't escape because there was nowhere to run. When she reached the open door she saw Bonnie standing still a little ways from the cottage. Before them the rolling hills of the New Zeeland countryside stretched out to the horizon. Bonnie sank to her knees. Her body trembled as a cold breeze swept past the cottage. She leaned against the doorframe for a few moments and watched her. Bonnie didn't stand again she just knelt on the ground shaking. Shego went over to her and knelt down beside her. She would have to tread lightly.

"You know I've always believed everything happens for a reason." Shego said. Bonnie didn't respond, she continued to stare out at the countryside. Shego sighed and closed her eyes. It apparently wasn't the time for a metaphysical chat.

"It's cold out, come back inside." Shego said.

"Where are we?" Bonnie's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry this is so hard on you." Shego placed a hand on her back and was surprised when she didn't shrug it off.

"It's going to take a while for you to process all this." Shego continued.

"You really think I have special powers?" Bonnie turned to look at her.

"I do." Shego nodded. "And, if you'll trust me I want to show you how to use them."

"That's why you brought me here." It was a statement. She understood. Shego confirmed it with a nod. Bonnie looked back out at the endless countryside. The sun was setting. The first hints of color were creeping across the sky.

Bonnie took a deep breath, stood and turned to Shego.

"I'm ready to go back inside now."

* * *

Ron

Ron stood in front of the gates of the Yamanouchi ninja school. It had taken days to get there because he wanted to hide his whereabouts from anyone who might try to track him. Okay, so he was trying to make sure Wade couldn't find him. He was exhausted but he was finally here. He remembered the first time he came to this school. He had brought a weeks supply of Bano Nacho and then had to carry it all the way up the mountain. This time he only had a small to go bag with a couple nacos in it. Rufus emerged from his pocket holding the remnants of a tortilla chip. Ron looked down at him. "Well little buddy, this is it,"

"Mmm hmm." Rufus nodded and pointed at the rope that hung by the gate. Ron reached out grabbed the rope and tugged on it twice. From within he could hear the bell ring. After few moments, the gate opened a crack. A young girl stood in the gap. Her short black hair was up in a bun and she wore a white gee. She looked at him quizzically from behind green eyes.

"Can I help you sir?" She said in English.

"Could you tell Master Sensei that Ron Stoppable is here?" At the mention of his name, the girl's eyes brightened. She bowed and then stood erect like a solder standing at attention.

"Stopable-san, Sensei is expecting you." She pulled the gate open and allowed him to enter.

"Please, follow me Stopable-san." The girl said once she had closed the gate.

"Call me Ron." He said falling in step behind her. The girl led him through the sparring grounds where groups of students engaged in mock combat. More memories came flooding back. He shook them off and quickened his pace to walk next to his guide.

"So, what's your name?" Ron asked.

"I am Satoko." She said leading him up to one of the buildings. She opened the outer sliding door and gestured for Ron to enter. Inside was a small rectangular room with hooks along the walls and another sliding door.

"Please take off your shoes and enter through the second door." Satoko bowed again and closed the door behind him. Ron slipped his shoes off and placed them by the exit. He slid the inner door open to find a much larger room. At the moment it was empty but in the center of the room laid two mats. Ron walked over and knelt down on one of them. He placed his hands on his knees and waited. He wasn't sure how much time passed but it felt like several minutes. Then he heard a door open. Ron looked to his left and saw Yori coming toward him. She looked quite a bit older then she had the last time he had seen her. Her hair was longer, her body leaner and more developed.

"Yori?" Ron bowed his head. She knelt on the mat opposite his and returned his bow.

"Stoppable-san, it is pleasing to see you again."

"Where is Sensei?" Ron asked.

"He asked me to come speak with you first."

"The girl at the gate, Satoko, she said you were expecting me."

Yori nodded. "I told Sensei of our speaking in the dream-meet. He had no doubt you would come."

"So what does he want you to talk to me about?" Ron asked. Yori hesitated before answering.

"He wants me to make sure you understand the price of what you seek." Ron couldn't hide his confusion. "I brought all my savings with me." Ron dug into his duffle bag.

"I am not speaking of money Stopable-san." Yori held up her hand.

"You've lost me." Ron said.

"You are the only person alive who possesses the mystical monkey power and the only one who can wield the Lotus Blade." Yori said. Ron winced. Yori continued. "A time is coming Stopable-san when Yamanouchi will need you… if you are willing to accept this honor then we will grant you the training you seek." Ron didn't answer right away. The weight of Yori's words hung heavy on him. His sole purpose for coming here was to gain the ability to protect Kim. Now he'd been asked to take on something else and he feared what it may require of him. Yori must have sensed his unease.

"You are not required to answer now." She stood.

"Satoko will show you to your room. You are free to move about the grounds. When you are ready come find me." Yori bowed and started to leave. Just before she reached the door, she stopped and looked back at him. "I am glad you are here." She smiled and then she was gone. Ron didn't move from his mat. He had promised himself he would do what ever it took to get this training, to master the mystical monkey power within him. Kim needed him but she was not the only one. If Yamanouchi needed his help he would give it. After all Kim knew about the school she could help to. Ron leapt from his mat and ran after Yori.

* * *

Kim

The images came at her dark and violent. One by one, the people she cared about most fell, struck down by a shadow moving too quickly to see. Then it came for her. Moving slowly now it came into the light. Shego came toward her. Covered in blood and wearing a sadistic grin. Shego leapt at her and knocked her to the ground. She was on top of her, straddling her abdomen. Silently she raised her hand, which crackled with green energy. Kim tore at her with her hands. Her fingers dug into Shego's face and it ripped away like a mask. Underneath, another face stared back at her. It was her own. Kim bolted upright in a cold sweat. Her body shook. Kim's eyes darted around the room. She was lying on the couch in Monique's apartment. Her recovery was going faster then expected and the hospital had released her earlier that day. Monique had offered to let her stay with her and, though her parents weren't entirely happy about it, she accepted. It would still be several weeks before she would be independent again and she needed a place she felt comfortable. Kim's body refused to calm itself. It had just been a dream but something still stung in the pit of her being. Tears formed in her eyes and she cried. Her body heaved as more tears came. The sound must of woken Monique because she appeared from her room and came over to the couch. Monique sat down and pulled Kim into her arms. Kim turned into her, buried her face and cried. She didn't know why Monique was letting her stay in her arms, but she didn't care. She felt so useless and all she could do was cry against her best friend. Monique ran a hand through her hair. Bonnie and her family were gone and Ron had disappeared. When she awoke in the hospital and Ron wasn't there it was like she had been hollowed out inside. What the hell was Ron thinking, leaving without a word to anyone. Kim's grip on Monique tightened. She held on to her as if her life depended on it. As if she were in danger of being swept away and drowned by the tied that had surrounded her.

Kim felt Monique brush her hair from her brow and then she felt a kiss. It was light and gentle against her forehead. Her crying ceased for a moment. Kim looked up at her through tear filled, blood shot eyes. Monique's eyes seemed to mirror her own. Hurt, anger and regret filled them. Her cheeks were wet with tears of her own.

"What was that for?" Kim asked.

"Just felt like it."

Kim sat up straight. "What else do you feel like?"

Monique was silent for a moment. She looked like she was lost for words, which was uncommon for her. Monique was normally so comfortable in her own skin that she exuded confidence. She always seemed to know what she wanted to say and exactly how to say it. In that way Monique was a totally comfortable person to be around. Perhaps that was why she loved her so much. Kim was struck by the thought. Did she love Monique? She cared for her a great deal as a friend, but could it be more than that? They had been best friends for so long she couldn't imagine life without her. Wasn't that how her feelings for Ron had started? Monique broke her thoughts by leaning down and kissing her again, but this time on her lips. It was elegant and simple. Everything she would have expected kissing Monique to be like. Though it was beyond the gesture of a friend. She should have felt uneasy, surprised, shocked even, but none of these emotions registered. All Kim felt was safe.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kim asked.

"I… couldn't." Fresh tears welled in Monique's eyes. Kim tried to reach for her, to comfort her, but she pulled away.

"You're with Ron. He's always hanging around you and he goes on those missions with you." Monique paused to wipe her tears but more came and wet her cheeks. She took a breath and let it stager back out.

"And… all I can do it stand by my door wishing I had the guts to come out here and talk to you." Kim was struck by an image. The night of her last mission, Monique's door had been cracked open. She had been awake that night. She had been awake tonight and had heard her wake from her nightmare.

Monique spoke again. "And when I saw you in the hospital, I was so afraid I was going to lose you that I couldn't leave." This caused a question to resurface. She had asked Monique about it at the time by she hadn't really answered.

"How did you get them to let you stay?" Kim asked. Monique tried to suppress an embarrassed smile.

"I told them… I told them I was your lover."

"Really?" Kim's eyes widened. Monique nodded as her head retreated into her shoulders. Monique looked like she was waiting for a backlash but Kim found she wasn't angry, not with Monique anyway. She was angry with herself, for being the kind of friend Monique was afraid to come to. That she missed all the little signs that now were so clear.

"Now that I know…" Kim said. "What do you want?"

"I don't want anything, just know that I won't leave you. I'll always be here for you, always." The statement stung a little. It reminded her of all that had been lost in such a short time. But, there was something else that hurt. Kim was realizing she had taken Monique for granted. She promised she would always be there but, the truth was, she always had. Ron was gone and she didn't know where he was. Monique was here. She had always been here. Kim reflected on this new revelation. There was so much history between them, but did any of it matter now? The past was past and the present was a very different place. Kim leaned over and kissed Monique. It was stronger and less graceful then Monique's but it got the point across. They continued to talk, kiss and hold one another until the sun began to peak over the horizon and spilled into Monique's apartment. Then they retreated to Monique's room to sleep.

* * *

Bonnie

She sat on the floor next to Shego. Their legs crossed in the lotus position. They shared a round matt, the pattern meant to symbolize the flow of energies. Shego had committed them to a couple hours of meditation every day. She said it would help focus her mind and allow her to awaken the powers within her. However, after a week she hadn't seemed to make any progress. This didn't seem to bother Shego but Bonnie was seething inside. She wanted to gain the power she needed to avenge her family. She wanted to find who ever was responsible and to kill them. Shego told her she was gathering information but didn't have anything solid yet. Shego might not have anything to go on but Bonnie did. One name remained fixed in her mind. Kim Possible, the peppy prudish bitch. She had gone around the world saving people. But, when someone in her own fucking town needed her she was MIA. Dark twisted thoughts came unbidden to her mind. Had Kim failed on purpose? Did she let her family die? She tried to push these thoughts away. She knew better then to believe that… didn't she? Despite her consideration, to the contrary she couldn't shake the feeling. Kim had to be part of this mess and Bonnie wanted to know how much apart. Bonnie let out a frustrated sigh.

"Something wrong?" Shego asked her eyes still closed.

"This is a waist of time." Bonnie huffed.

"You need to concentrate."

"I am!" Bonnie protested. Shego opened her eyes and looked at her. "No you're not."

"How the hell would you know?" Bonnie stood and faced her. Shego looked up at her with a detached curiosity.

"Your posture and breathing." Shego's voice was still calm and even as she continued. "They speak volumes about your troubled state of mind."

Bonnie's frown pulled into a sneer. She didn't like being read so easily.

"You think you know everything don't you?" Bonnie turned to walk away when she heard Shego's voice.

"No I don't, but I am trying to help you." Bonnie stopped mid step. Suddenly she felt horrible. Shego wasn't the one she was mad at and didn't deserve having it vented at her. Bonnie turned back toward her and held out her hands.

"I'm sorry." Bonnie said. "I know I can be a bitch sometimes." Shego stood and met her gaze.

"You're not a bitch. You actually reminded me a lot of myself." Shego smiled. Bonnie smiled too and felt the warmth of a blush in her cheeks.

"Please sit down." Shego pointed to the matt. Bonnie took her place and resumed her position.

"I want you to picture a room in your mind. Cluttered with boxes and other things."

Bonnie did as Shego told her. She heard Shego walking around and then something scraping across the floor. It sounded like Shego was pulling a chair over towards the matt.

"Do you have it?" Shego asked.

"Mm hmm." Bonnie nodded. She felt Shego settle on the floor behind her. Then she felt her pull in close. Shego's legs spread on either side of her and her arms wrapped around her middle. The older woman felt warm against her. It was distracting and made it hard to concentrate. Maybe that was the point she thought, if so it was an odd distraction.

"Now, let the furniture represent your cluttered thoughts. One by one let them go. Let them sink right through the floor." Shego said, her breath hot on her ear. The hairs on her neck stood on end and she became more keenly aware of Shego's front pressing against her back. She tried to ignore it and focused on emptying her mind. When the last thing had sunk into the floor of her imaginary room, Bonnie nodded. "Okay."

"The room is empty?"

"Yes." Bonnie said.

"Then open your eyes." Bonnie obeyed.

"Study the chair. Memorize every detail." Shego instructed. Bonnie stared at the chair committing to memory every detail she could.

"Now close your eyes and go back to the empty room. Picture the chair there in the center."

Bonnie closed her eyes and saw the room with the chair just as she had been told.

"Now imagine yourself going over to the chair and lifting it off the ground." Bonnie did, she pictured herself holding the chair at chest level.

"Now." Shego said. "Open your eyes." Bonnie wasn't prepared for the sight that met her. The chair in front of her was hovering 4 feet off the floor.

"Oh shit!" Bonnie yelped. The chair fell and toppled over backward. Bonnie tried to back away but Shego held her from behind.

"Let go of me." Bonnie said still trying to move away from the fallen chair.

"I won't"

"Let me go, damn it!" Bonnie yelled.

"No!" Shego's voice rose for the first time. Her tone was more firm then angry but the force of it froze her in place.

"Don't run from this." Shego's voice retreated to its usual calm. "This power is yours, it's part of you." Bonnie felt something awaken within her. A new voice spoke, different from Shego's, but with the same message. Bonnie stopped struggling against her captor.

"Did I really do that?"

Shego's voice was low and soft. "Yes, you are a telekinetic." Bonnie had heard the term before in passing. It was something she associated with nerds who spent their time playing video games and debating Dr. Who. It was not to be taken seriously. Now however, the mindset she counted on to keep her grounded seemed naïve and sheltered. Like a child's blanket, what once provided security now threatened to cripple. Bonnie closed her eyes and felt tears run down her cheeks. There was a time when she remembered feeling special, different from everyone else. She didn't consider it pride or arrogance. It was just simply the truth. However, over the years there was always someone telling her she was wrong to feel that way. Teachers, peers and even her family told her she was average. She lived in constant fear that they were right. She went to great lengths to prove everyone wrong. Though it seemed the more she did the more she only confirmed her fears.

Now she understood something that had long eluded her. The truth was her excellence laid not in what she did, but purely in who she was.

"Shego?" Bonnie turned toward the older woman. "Can you teach me to use this power?"

"I told you already, that's why I rescued you, why I brought you here." Shego said. Bonnie pursed her lips, her mind racing with questions. She had so much she wanted to ask, but it could wait. She wanted to enjoy this moment. She had been right all along. She was special and she would make sure everyone knew it.


	6. Chapter 6

Six Weeks Later

Kim

Bleep, Bleep, Bleep. The alarm clock squawked at her. She moaned and waved her hand in the air like she were swatting at a fly.

"The alarm's going off." She mumbled. Her only reply was another round of beeps from the clock. Kim opened her eyes. The bed next to her was vacant and she slid her hand through the empty space. Kim always seemed to be the second one up, but most of the time she was still able to catch Monique before she left for work. Only rarely did Kim wake up to an empty bed. It was always depressing when she did.

She officially moved in close to a month ago, though she had never really went back to her house. Though they were in a relationship they weren't big on classifying when it officially started. At least Monique wasn't. Kim liked to think of that night on her couch as the night when things changed between them. Monique on the other hand believed labels belong on clothes.

"We're together, why complicate it?" She said. Kim didn't mind too much. Monique had a point. Things were complicated enough as it was. The media had always followed her activities with interest. It wasn't so bad when it was just a report about her rescue of some dignitary. But, the older she got the more interest the media took in her personal life. Who was she dating? Where was she going to college? What music did she listen to? Since her injury and subsequent relationship with Monique they had reporters practically camped outside their door. Kim had used some favors to keep them away from the apartment but still had a hard time avoiding cameras and microphones. On top of that came the task of telling their parents. Kim's family had been reasonably supportive of their relationship. Her father had said something like "All this time I was worried about you and some boy." Her mom pulled her into privet and gave her some brochures on safe sex. Monique's parents were another story. They didn't say much. In fact they didn't say anything and grew increasingly distant as they continued to live together. Monique put on a brave front, but Kim could tell the distance from her family hurt her.

Kim pulled herself closer to the alarm clock and turned it off. She looked at the display. The glowing red numerals read 11:00am. Kim moaned again. She had told Monique of her plan to work out today. She must have set the alarm before she left. Kim sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She needed to get moving. She had permission to use the obstacle course at a nearby naval academy. She was free to use the course from 1200 to 1300. After a quick shower and dressing in a set of sweats, Kim walked out into the main living space. She went for the fridge to get a protein shake. Across the doors a note hung by a fridge magnet.

Sorry I had to be out so early this morning. Someone called out sick and I had to cover for them. I'll bring home a surprise and make it up to you tonight.

Love, Monique.

Kim smiled at the note wondering exactly what Monique meant by a surprise. Being with Monique was a kind of constant surprise. She never ceased to amaze Kim with the depth of her love, affection, and… creativity. The doctors were impressed with the speed of her recovery. They kept praising her strength and physical ability. Kim gave all the praise to Monique. If it weren't for her Kim believed she'd still be lying in a hospital bed. She took the note from the fridge. It smelled faintly of Monique's perfume. She glanced over at the clock on the range top and saw that it was already 11:35am. She grabbed a protein shake and headed for the door. She had been inactive for too long and she needed this workout.

Ron

Ron stood in the mausoleum that held the remains of Yamanouchi's founder Toshimiru. The crypt had been dug into the side of the mountain. Toshimiru's remains laid in a stone sarcophagus with intricate carvings that told the story of the school's creation. Next to the sarcophagus, a statue of the old warrior stood seven feet tall. In his out stretched hands, he held the Lotus Blade. The sword glowed iridescent blue, which cast odd shadows across the walls of the ancient tomb. Since Monkey Fists defeat Sensei decided to restore the Lotus Blade to its rightful place of honor. Ron stared at the sword. For some reason he still could not articulate the glowing blade filled him with dread. He was the only one who could truly wield the weapon and yet the mere thought of touching it made him tremble. That was the real problem. Ron feared that more then anything the power that lied dormant within him.

He did not want to admit it but his determination had been waning. His training had been slow and painful. Ron was afraid he didn't have what it took to become a master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar.

Yori had warned he would never reach his potential until he dealt with his fear. It proved easier said then done. There had been a couple times when he was able to unleash mystical monkey power. They were times of extreme stress when he acted on instinct. He tried not to think about those times. He couldn't fully account for himself while using the power. Yori and Kim had told him what he did but he didn't remember the events. He had nightmares though. He dreamt the mystical monkey powers turned him into a monster and that he killed family and friends. They were just dreams he knew but the fact didn't make him feel any better.

"Stoppable-san." Yori said behind him. "Rufus-san and I have been looking for you." Ron didn't turn. He couldn't take his eyes off the sword.

"It is time for your next lesson."

Ron closed his eye but could still see the glow of the blade in front of him. Being back at Yamanouchi was having other affects on him he could not predict. He and Yori had been spending a lot of time together. Master Sensei asked Yori to take responsibility for his training and of course it was her honor to accept. He had spent several hours a day everyday in intensive training with Yori. Though she rarely spoke about herself, Ron had learned a lot about the Asian girl in the past few weeks. She was absolutely dedicated to the advancement and preservation of the school. She was working on her mastery of Tai Shing Pek Kwar. She said once her own training was complete she would be sent away on a long-term mission of utmost importance. Ron had pressed for details but she wouldn't tell him anything else. She did a lot of practicing at night by one of the ponds outside the school. Ron had snuck out of the dormitory to watch her the past couple nights. She was amazing. She would practice the same moves over and over until they were flawless. It was beautiful to watch, she was beautiful. Ron on the other hand, though he practiced day after day, didn't feel he was improving. He still felt stiff an awkward. He thought his determination would make up for his learning curve but once again he was proven wrong.

"You really think I can do this?" Ron asked.

"I believe in you, Ron-san."

Ron turned to look at the girl. She didn't usually use his first name, though he had asked her to many times. Rufus stood on her shoulder holding his front paws. Ron glanced back at the sword, took a deep breath and followed Yori out of the tomb.

Kim

Kim hit the dirt. Hard. The wind was knocked out of her and she spent several moments trying to take a breath. The muscles in her legs tightened in knots and her abdomen burned. She had run this obstacle course before. She had completed it in qualifying time according to the Drill Instructor on duty. This time however, she wasn't doing as well. She had tried three times to scale a vertical wall. She made it over on the last attempt but then lost her footing and fell 10 feet to the ground. The DI in charge appeared over her.

"You alright ma'am?" He said kneeling down next to her. Kim pulled herself up and brushed the dirt from her shirt and pants.

"I'm fine." Kim lied. By the look he gave her he knew she was lying.

"Why don't you take a break?" He said.

"I said I'm fine Commander!" Kim raised her voice. The DI raised his hands in surrender and fell back to the edge of the course. Kim readied herself to continue when her wrist Kimmunicator beeped. Kim activated the holographic image of Wade.

"Got something?" Kim said still out of breath.

"Something major…" Wade nodded. "I tracked Shego."

"Where is she?" Kim's eyes narrowed.

"She's been staying in a cottage in New Zealand."

"Ride?"

"Already on its way, it'll pick you up outside the main gate." Wade said.

Kim ended the call. She walked toward the Drill Instructor who held out a towel as she approached. She took it and draped it over her shoulder.

"Guess something came up." He said.

Kim nodded. "I need a lift to the main gate."

Shego

Shego walked at a steady pace as she made her way through the crowed nightclub. Along the way three men and a woman had tried to get her to dance. She ignored them. Though she could use some entertainment, she was not there to have fun. She needed to speak with someone who did business out of the club. He was not the kind of person Shego would ordinarily deal with but her options were greatly limited at the moment. Few knew him by name, but Jonathan Write had dealing in everything from theft to international terrorism. He maintained his activities behind a cloak of anonymity and he was very good at it. He was also sadist and a psychopath. That was why Shego didn't look forward to dealing with him. Write took too much pleasure in his work. A voice in the back of her mind whispered telling her she was a hypocrite, that she and Write were just alike. She fought back against the imaginary foe. She used violence when it was necessary and though she didn't feel remorse over the lives she had taken she didn't take a perverse delight in it either. Shego made it to the back of the club. A pair of women guarded the door leading to the VIP rooms. They wore matching outfits and earwigs1. The blouse tops and short skirts made the women look deceptively petite. Shego wasn't fooled. They were both killers, highly trained and efficient.

Shego stepped up to one of the women.

"If you could, tell Mr. Write that Shego is here to see him." The woman looked at her for a moment and then spoke into her radio.

"A Shego here to see you sir." There was a pause as the answer came back to her.

"Right away." She nodded and then looked back a Shego. "Last door on the right." She stepped back and opened the door for her. As Shego passed the woman offered a parting command.

"Don't go into any of the other rooms."

Shego rolled her eyes and continued into the hallway. She had no desire to uncover whatever sick things were going on in these back rooms. She walked quickly and reached her destination. She knocked politely and the door opened inward. A dimly lit room lay beyond furnished with black leather armchairs and a sofa. Write sat in the middle of the sofa. He had an arm around two topless women on either side of him, one a blond the other a read head. When he saw Shego he smiled.

"Ah, welcome malady." Write removed his arm from the blond women and gestured to one of the chairs.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Write asked as she sat. "Food, Drink, a lap dance perhaps?"

"You can keep you're cheep booze and cheep whores." Shego said. Write smiled and laughed dryly.

"Oh, they're not so cheap." He said. The Red head made a point of rubbing his chest before lowering her hand toward his crotch. Shego looked away and sighed.

"Are we going to do business or should I come back later?" There was a slight pause.

"You'll have to excuse us my dears." Write said looking to the women. They pouted and tried to protest but Write gave them each a light push. They stood up and looked at him expectantly.

"Room 3 is empty." Write retrieved two stacks of bills from his sports coat. "Why don't you go and get started without me." He handed them the money. The Blond took the Red head's hand and led her from the room. When the door shut Write turned back to Shego. "I apologies, most of my clients are looking to mix their business with pleasure." She shook her head. It took more then a display of bravado to offend her. However, she was slightly unnerved. The guards had said he was expecting her. The whole thing with the topless bimbos wasn't for show. He was testing her. Gauging her reactions. Even sending them from the room the way he did was part of some little game he was playing. Shego didn't play by the rules of others. She might pretend to on occasion but always with the purpose of moving her opponent onto her court. Though it was already clear to her that Write had done his homework. He might even know more about her then she did about him. That would put her at a disadvantage. She had to proceed carefully.

"No offence taken." Shego assured him. Write likely did not need such assurances, but she had a persona to maintain.

"I need to find someone." Shego said.

"Why come to me for such a trivial task?"

"Because he's an associate of yours." Shego leaned forward. Write pulled a cigar from his coat. Holding it with both hands he turned it a few times before bringing it to his nose to sniff.

"Why do you want this man?" Write asked.

"I want to talk to him about a job He took a few weeks ago." Shego said.

"This job, it affected you?"

"Will you help me?" She ignored him. He was baiting her and she wouldn't bite.

"You're a bright woman." Write took out a cigar trimmer and snipped off the end of the cigar.

"What do you suppose would happen if I started giving up my associates to anyone who asked?"

He replaced the trimmer and brought out a lighter.

"No one will know you were involved." Shego replied. Write took a series of puffs on the cigar and returned the lighter to his coat.

"You can give me your assurance?" Write pointed at her with the cigar. Shego calculated. She was confident she could keep Write out of everything that followed. However, she would be staking her life on it and she didn't like those stakes. At the same time Bonnie's skills were growing. If Write made the mistake of coming after her she was confident she could make it his last.

"I can." Shego nodded.

"You have his name?" Write asked.

"No, but he was responsible for the house bombing two months ago." Shego said. A glimmer of recognition sparked in Write's eyes.

"Despicable matter." He said tapping the cigar on an ashtray. This surprised Shego, she hadn't thought such a thing would bother him.

"So much waist, truly and amateurish display." Write sighed. Shego kicked herself mentally. He didn't care about loss of life it was the lack of skill displayed that bothered him. Write took hold of his cell phone and typed a message into it. When he finished he set the phone down again and let a cloud of smoke into the air.

"One of the ladies out front will give you the information you seek." Write put out the partial smoked cigar and stood.

"I'm sure you can find your way out." Write said. Shego left the room followed by Write. Part way down the corridor Write turned into room 3. When she reentered the main part of the club one of the guards handed her a plain envelope.

Shego made her way back through the club and had just gotten back outside when her phone rang. She looked at the display. The string of numbers on the screen was from an encrypted phone. That meant it could only be one person.

"Why are you calling me?" Shego answered.

"Why are you back in the US?" A female voice shot back. Shego cursed silently.

"You're tracking me?" Shego spat into the phone.

"Always." The voice said. "Now tell me."

"I'm on business."

"You didn't inform me."

"You're not my parole officer." Shego said.

"Our agreement was that you wouldn't operate in the states anymore." The woman refused to back down.

"I know what the agreement was." Shego snapped.

A pause. "What about the girl?" The abrupt change in subject caught her of guard.

"What girl?" Shego feigned ignorance.

"The one living with you." The voice retorted as if answering a stupid question. Shego felt a slight surge of triumph. They hadn't identified Bonnie. Their surveillance was lacking. Shego considered her reply. Sometimes the best lies contained some truth.

"She's a mentee." Shego said.

"Who is she?"

"Our agreement doesn't extend to my privet life." There was another pause, longer this time.

"Finish your business and get out of the country…" The voice commanded. "…And remember I'm watching."

"You've only got the one eye, don't tax yourself." Shego said. The line went dead and Shego smiled. She never tired of pissing that woman off, but it was a dangerous game. She could only push so far.

Once at her vehicle Shego opened the envelope and read the files inside. It was the first time she had been able to confirm the plan was working.

Bonnie

She sat on the floor. Her eyes closed in meditation. Around her a sparse bedroom held only a bed, a dresser and a nightstand. She found keeping things simple helped her to focus. Shego had snuck them back into the US two days ago and let her help pick out their safe house. It was odd being back in her home country again. It should have felt like returning home, but it didn't. She found she missed the quiet and security of the cottage in the middle of nowhere. But they were back for a reason. Shego clamed to have a solid lead on the person who killed her family and they were going to hunt him down. Bonnie had been devoting a lot of time to refining her newfound skill. She no longer needed the mental imagery to levitate or move objects. However, for meditating she still found the use of the empty room relaxing. That was what she was currently trying to do. She went to the room in her mind finding it crowed and a mess once again. She slowly let go of each item and let it sink through the floor. As a large pile of boxes sank they revealed the wooden chair she had first used to practice with. However, something was different this time. Shego sat backward in the chair. She folded her arms across the chair back and rested her head on them. Shego looked at her as a predatory smile spread across her black lips. Bonnie opened her eyes and shook her head trying to clear the image. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again trying to refocus her mind. She went back to the room but as before, Shego was there straddling the chair and staring at her. Bonnie tried to approach her but she heard the bedroom door open and she opened her eyes. Shego stood in the doorway and looked down at her.

She didn't smile as she said. "I found him."

Kim

The rolling green of New Zealand's countryside swept past under the jet. Kim sat hunched forward in her seat. She didn't look up toward the empty pilots seat as she had the first time Wade had them fly in his remote controlled aircraft. Wade's image appeared from her wrist.

"You're almost there." He said. Without answering, Kim pulled on her parachute.

"Are you sure about this Kim?" The truth was she wasn't sure. After the problems she experienced on the obstacle course, Kim had serious doubts about confronting Shego alone. She didn't want to admit her doubts to Wade but she had to make sure this mission succeeded.

"Contact Global Justice and give them the coordinates for the cottage." Kim said.

Wade nodded in understanding and typed at his console. "They're standing by." Wade paused debating whether to say more. "You know you could have taken the battle suit."

"No thanks." Kim waved her hand in front of her. She hadn't used Wade's high tech suit in over a year. Not since a battle with Electronique when the villainess took control of the suit with her in it.2 Wade kept assuring her it was perfectly safe but she still couldn't bring herself to dawn it again. Wade shrugged and gave up, his image winked out. Kim stood and stretched. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves and moved to the door. A buzzer sounded over her head indicating she was approaching the drop point. Kim secured her goggles over her eyes and checked the straps on her helmet and parachute. When she opened the door wind blew into the cabin and pushed her back a step. The light above the door jumped from red to green and the buzzer sounded again. Kim took one last breath and jumped from the aircraft. Kim flattened herself out in a spread eagle position. It allowed her to slow her descent and gave her more control. Beneath her, the cottage came into view. The cabin faced to the west and stood over a wide valley. A trickle of smoke came from the chimney on the south side of the cottage. Someone was home. Kim deployed her 'chute and maneuvered herself to land on the backside of the cottage. As soon as she touched the ground she cut the parachute loose and it flew away. Kim stayed in a crouch scanning the widows and back door. Seeing no movement she rose to her feet and slowly approached the cottage. The back door was locked. Kim pulled a barrette from her hair. She twisted it apart into two pieces, which she used to pick the lock. Twisting the pieces back together Kim replaced the barrette in her hair. With her back flat against the wall Kim turned the doorknob and pushed the door inward. No sounds came from inside, no bolts of super heated green plasma crackled through the air. Kim peaked around the doorframe. The cottage was still. She slipped inside and began her search. The first floor was empty. The remains of a fire smoldered in the fireplace. The upstairs proved to be just as empty. No clothes… no food… no Shego. Kim called Wade as she returned to the first floor.

"She's gone Wade." Kim said.

"Sorry Kim." Wade sighed. "Is there anything to indicate where she might be going? Kim shook her head but stopped. A computer sat atop a desk in a corner of the room. Kim went to it and found it off. She pushed the power button and it booted up.

"There's a computer here." Kim said pulling out her pocket Kimmunicator. From the bottom of the device she pulled out a data cord and plugged it into the computer.

"See what you can find." Kim said. Wade spent several minutes typing at his console.

"Looks like Shego tried to wipe the hard drive."

"She tried?" Kim repeated.

Wade kept typing. "She's not very computer savvy. I can recover the data but it'll take a while."

"Let me know when you have something." Kim pushed away from the computer and looked around the living space again.

"Something's weird." Kim said.

"What do you mean?" Wade looked up at her.

"We're in the middle of nowhere. How does this place have electricity or plumbing?" Kim walked around the room scrutinizing the walls, floor and ceiling. Wade went back to his computer.

"My scan of the cottage is done." Wade said. "Check the linen closet by the entry way." Kim found the door but when she opened it she did not find a closet. A staircase, steep and narrow, led into blackness. Kim held up her wrist Kimmunicator and activated the flashlight on it. She slowly descended counting the steps as she went. After what should have been close to ten feet she came to a landing. Motion activated florescent lights blinked to life revealing a vast open space under the cottage. Kim raised the wrist Kimmunicator to her chest and said. "I think this must be one of Drakken's abandoned lairs."

Wade shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. My scan is picking up signs of a geothermal power generator and a waist reclamation system."

"Seems a little advanced for Drakken doesn't it?"

"Exactly." Wade said. "I've only seen this technology one other place."

"Where?"

"Global Justice." Wade answered. Kim shook her head. "What was Shego doing in a GJ safe house?"

An electronic beeping noise came through the Kimmunicator, Wade scanned his screen and said.

"I've got something from Shego's computer." Wade's face was grim. "She chartered a plane."

"Where's she going?" Kim asked.

"The flight plan she logged is bogus but it says she had a passenger." Wade said.

"Drakken?" Kim guessed.

Wade shook his head. "It only has a first name."

"Who?"

"Bonnie."

It was late when Kim finally returned to the apartment. She found Monique sitting on the couch watching television. She wore a bathrobe and her hair was wrapped in a towel. When she saw Kim come through the door she leaped at her so hard Kim nearly fell backward. Monique held her tight.

"Sorry I'm late." Kim said holding her back.

"Wade told me you went on a mission."

"Did he tell you what it was?" Kim asked.

"Not at first, but I got it out of him."

"Are you mad?" Kim winced but Monique shook her head. "I was just worried about you."

"Well I'm back now, safe and sound." Kim ran her fingers through Monique's dark hair. Monique pulled away from Kim and took a step backward.

"I've got something for you." She smiled.

"Right, you said you had a surprise." Kim said.

"I did some shopping at a little boutique in the mall." Monique pulled at the knot in her bathrobe and it fell open. Underneath Monique wore a matching pair of black lace lingerie. Monique struck a pose as if she were an underwear model.

"What do you think?" She asked. No words came from Kim's open mouth, she was stunned. Monique took her by the hand and led her to the couch. She gently pushed Kim back onto it and then slid into her lap.

"I also said I'd make up for leaving so early." Monique cooed. Kim tried to smile. She loved Monique's aggressive side and she did look amazing in her bra and underwear. But, at the moment her thoughts were troubled. Monique must have sensed it because her smile faded.

"What's wrong?" Monique sat back slightly.

"It's not you, really." Kim placed a hand on her shoulder. "I found something in New Zealand. Something very unexpected." Kim said. Monique moved from Kim's lap to the couch and waited for her to continue.

Kim took a deep breath. "I think Bonnie might be alive." Monique's features darkened with confusion and hints of anger. "What?"

"Shego had documents on her computer that said she was traveling with a girl named Bonnie." Kim said. Monique fell silent. Kim wondered if the questions that had been on her mind now haunted Monique's.

"You're going to leave again, on another mission."

The subject of taking on missions again came up a couple times already. Monique had been supportive but not enthusiastic. Her world saving ventures had troubled her past relationships and there was an unspoken fear that it could jeopardize this one. But, it was part of who she was and Monique had helped her understand that. Monique wouldn't try to stop her. Kim looked into Monique's brown eyes and nodded. Kim feared the response she might get, but she had to be honest. She owed Monique that.

The dark haired girl pulled her into a hug and kissed her. Kim let out a quiet sigh, relieved Monique wasn't pushing her away.

"I know you need to do this." Monique ran her fingers through Kim's hair.

"But for tonight I need you." She said.

"Then tonight, I'm yours." Kim moved on top of Monique and kissed her. Monique wrapped her arms around her and pulled her closer deepening the kiss. Kim reached behind Monique and fumbled with the clasp of her bra. At the same time she felt Monique pulling her shirt upward.

_Beep beep, beep, beep_. The Kimmunicator rang from her wrist. Monique's hands retreated from her shirt and she pulled back.

"Ignore it." Kim leaned toward her, but the Kimmunicator rang again.

"Go ahead and answer it." Monique said. Kim stood and took a couple steps away from the couch.

"Really bad timing Wade." Kim brought the wrist communicator to her chest.

"Sorry but I have some information and I thought you'd want to know." Wade looked back and forth between her and his terminal.

"This better be good." Kim glanced back toward Monique for a moment.

"Since finding the info on Shego's laptop in New Zealand I've been reinvestigating the bombing of the Rockwaller's home." Wade said.

"What have you found?"

"Kyle Rockwaller, Bonnie's dad ran his own investment firm."

"I already knew that." Kim shrugged. "So?"

"So, not all of his dealings were exactly legal. I've found evidence that he had ties to B.D.B." A screen appeared that showed a series of bank accounts and money transfers.

"B.D.B.?" Kim asked.

"Big Daddy Brotherson." Wade clarified. Kim recognized the name. He was the head of an organized crime ring. The information he sold to Drakken led him to her Dad. Which allowed Drakken to steal the cybertronic technology he used to create the diablo robots.

"Are you sure Bonnie's Dad did business with him?"

"There's more." Wade said. "I hacked their computers and found email's between them. Bonnie's dad wanted out."

"And you think that had something to do with the bombing?"

"I don't know yet but it's a possibility." Wade said. Kim sighed. This wasn't what she was expecting. Wade's information left more questions then it answered. The biggest being if Bonnie were really alive and what she was doing with Shego.

"Thanks for the info Wade. Keep me updated."

"I always do." Wade's imaged disappeared. Kim returned to Monique who stood as she approached. Monique had closed her robe again likely incase Wade had seen past her. Kim opened her mouth to speak but Monique cut her off.

"I heard." She said.

"None of this makes sense." Kim shook her head. Monique placed her hands on Kim shoulders.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Kim smiled. "I could use something to take my mind off all this." Monique untied her robe revealing nothing but skin beneath. It wasn't until now that she noticed the lingerie crumpled on the couch.

"That could work." Kim smiled. Monique took her hand and led her into the bedroom.

1 A small radio transmitter and receiver that fits into the ear.

2 A play on when Dementor took control of the super suit.


	7. Chapter 7

Bonnie

This was it. This would be the first step in taking revenge on the people who murdered her family. It started with the triggerman, the one who planted the bomb. She didn't intend to stop there of course. Someone had hired the killer and she still intended to repay Kim Possible for her part or lack there of. Bonnie had tried to tell Shego about these thoughts but the older woman had told her to stay focused. Shego said other things would only cloud her judgment and distract her from the present. She was probably right but Bonnie didn't care. She always finished what she started. Bonnie turned to look at Shego. They sat in a ragtop convertible parked along a crowded street in Go City. They parked in front of an apartment building where their target had been staying for the past three weeks. No one appeared to be home so they were staking out the building waiting for the target to return. The man's name was Dwight Lincoln better known as D-Link by the underground. She had read the file Shego gave her about him. Lincoln had been arrested at the age of 17 when the police found a dozen pipe bombs in the family's garage. He spent some time in a juvenile detention facility where he some how made contact with Big Daddy Brotherson's organization. Brotherson had arranged for an early release and Lincoln had been working for him ever since. It wasn't clear why Brotherson had gone to so much trouble for a punk kid who played with bombs in his garage, but it didn't matter. Bonnie didn't care about the how and why, she just wanted to kill Lincoln. Outside a light rain turned into a downpour. Black umbrellas dotted the sidewalks and obscured the faces of pedestrians walking by. Shego sat in the driver's seat tapping her finger against the steering wheal.

The taillights of passing vehicles cast Shego's features in an unusual red hue. Bonnie caught herself staring at Shego. What would happen after all this was over? Once she had killed Lincoln and the others. Would Shego leave her? What would she do then? She couldn't go home there was nothing left, no home to return to.

"Shego…" Bonnie started but Shego cut her off. "There he is." She pointed out the windshield. Bonnie looked but didn't see him right away. Everyone looked the same under those damn umbrellas. Shego saw she was having trouble.

"Half way down the block near the store fronts." Bonnie saw him walking toward them. He wore a dark gray sweatshirt with the hood drawn over his head. Bonnie was surprised Shego spotted him so quickly. Lincoln turned down an alley between a coffee shop and his apartment building.

"There's a back entrance to the laundry room in the basement." Shego told her. Bonnie nodded. If that's where he was heading it would be a good place to move on him. Bonnie opened the door and started to get out when Shego gently grabbed her arm.

"Stay focused, stay controlled." Shego said. "You're ready for this." Bonnie nodded and stepped out into the rain. She followed Lincoln into the alleyway. The rear of the building held dumpsters and recycling containers. The rear entrance stood open and water had pooled in the threshold. Bonnie stepped around it and entered the basement. Washers and dryers hummed and vibrated with heavy loads. Bonnie looked around the room but didn't see anyone. Then she sensed movement behind her. Before she could turn something hard and cold was jammed between her shoulder blades. She guessed it was the muzzle of a pistol.

"Don't move." A voice behind her said. Bonnie slowly raised her hands cursing silently.

"Why are you following me?" The voice demanded and the pistol pressed harder into her back. It was Lincoln. How had he caught her so quickly?

"Why would I follow you?" Bonnie said. The gun was removed from her back but then came down on her head. Bonnie fell to her knees with a grunt. Her vision blurred and for a moment she thought she would pass out. Her hand went instinctively to where she had been struck. Her hair felt wet and sticky. Lincoln came around to face her and leveled the gun at her head.

"Last chance." He said. "Why are you following me?"

Bonnie looked up, holding back the rage she felt.

"I wanted to ask you a question." Bonnie said. Lincoln raised an eyebrow seemingly intrigued.

"Ask."

"You're the one they call D-Link, right?" Bonnie sat up straight, one hand still pressed to the back of her head.

"Yeah that's me." Lincoln replied. Bonnie calmed her nerves and refocused her mind. His finger relaxed on the trigger slightly. She had him.

"You took a job a couple months ago." She said. He blinked as her words registered. She took the opening and lunged forward driving her head into his abdomen. Lincoln staggered backward gasping for breath. Bonnie brought her fist up under his jaw and disarmed him using one of the techniques Shego taught her. Lincoln was down on one knee cradling his abdomen. Bonnie stood over him and turned the gun on its owner.

"You put a bomb in a house." Bonnie continued calmly. Lincoln coughed and spit blood onto the concrete floor.

"Crazy bitch…" He said. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're a fucking liar!" Bonnie retorted. Suddenly Lincoln had another gun in his hand. It was a small caliber revolver pulled from a holster on his ankle. Bonnie saw it and hesitated for an instant. It was long enough for Lincoln to sweep her legs out from under her. Bonnie fell backward and landed on her back. The impact jarred the gun from her hand and sent it clattering across the floor. Once again, he stood over her gloating as blood trickled from his lower lip.

"How do you know about that job? Who are you?"

Bonnie didn't respond. Lincoln's eyes widened.

"No shit, you're one of Kyle's brats aren't you?"

Bonnie sneered at him but still said nothing. The way he said her father's name filled her with an inexplicable rage.

"Now I'm really curious. How'd you survive the blast?" Lincoln asked. Bonnie just stared at him. However, this time she couldn't see an opening to attack him. The gun was still on her, his finger snug on the trigger. When it was obvious she wasn't going to play along Lincoln shrugged.

"Oh well, doesn't matter, a mistake easily rectified." He aimed the pistol at her head and squeezed the trigger. The sound of the shot reverberated off the concrete walls of the basement. Lincoln blinked and stared in apparent disbelief. She stared back at him, not a mark on her. The glass on the front of a washing machine several feet away had shattered, soap and water drained from the machine.

"The hell?" Lincoln looked from the broken washer back to Bonnie. He was less then six feet from her. There was no way his shot could have gone that wide. Lincoln took aim and fired again. This time the bullet ricocheted off the floor and embedded in the wall behind Bonnie. He backed away from her a step or two, fear and confusion creeping into his eyes. He squeezed off the remaining four rounds in rapid succession with the same results. Not a single bullet hit Bonnie. She deflected each one with her powers. Though empty, Lincoln continued the pull the trigger causing the hammer to click in the empty chambers.

"No way, no fucking way." He repeated. The gun Bonnie had dropped vibrated against the floor and slid a couple of inches toward her. Lincoln watched this frozen in place. Bonnie extended her hand and the gun flew up to meet it. Lincoln found his legs and turned to run, but Bonnie had already brought the gun to bear on him and fired twice. The bullets struck him in the chest and knocked him onto his back. Bonnie stood and went over to him. He looked up at her and tried to speak but only a wet gurgle came out. Without a word, Bonnie aimed and sent one more round between his eyes. She sighed letting the gun rest at her side. He was dead, finally dead. Dizziness and fatigue began to catch up with her as her vision clouded. Her legs gave out but she didn't fall because suddenly Shego was holding her.

"You did well." Bonnie heard her say. She tried to smile but her head hurt and she was drowsy. Bonnie felt herself lifted by Shego's strong arms.

"Come on, we need to go." Shego said, but Bonnie was already unconscious.

* * *

Kim

Kim watched Monique as she slept. The dark haired girl had a serenity about her that only seemed to deepen in times of rest. Kim found her own nerves calmed by watching the still form of her girlfriend. She wished she could stay in this moment. It was perfect in it's sheer simplicity. With Monique she didn't have to be a cheerleader, a student a sibling or a daughter. Monique didn't care that she was a world famous teen hero. With her Kim could just be. Kim ran one hand through Monique's black hair. Her girlfriend moaned and stirred but didn't wake. Kim leaned in to kiss her but the Kimmunicator rang. Kim sighed and pulled it from her nightstand.

"Your timing hasn't improved." Kim told Wade.

"You wanted to be kept updated." Wade shrugged.

"Alright what's the sitch?"

"Police report from Go city. There was a homicide there last night." Wade reported.

"Go city has a lot of homicides." Kim said.

"Yeah but this victim worked for Big Daddy Brotherson." A screen appeared with a dossier on Dwight Lincoln aka D-Link. Kim skimmed the information. "So right after you find a link between Bonnie's dad and Big Daddy, one of his men turns up dead."

"Quite a coincidence wouldn't you say?"

"No, I wouldn't." Kim shook her head. "Can you set up a meet with Brotherson?"

"Give me an hour or two." Wade started typing.

"Please and thank you." Kim smiled and ended the call. She turned back to Monique suddenly hesitant to wake her. She needed to be ready to move when Wade called. Kim slowly pulled the covers off herself.

"Don't you even think about getting out of this bed." Monique's voice made her jump. Monique was still on her side, eyes closed.

"I thought you were still asleep." Kim said. Monique grabbed hold of Kim and pulled her close.

"Wade said he needed a couple hours." Monique said into her ear. Kim relaxed and wrapped her arms around Monique.

* * *

Shego

She ran. Her feet pounded the treadmill again and again. She had run the equivalent of five miles already and she intended to go another five before quitting. Then she would need to check on Bonnie again. The younger woman had sustained a concussion from her encounter with Lincoln. Shego had to make sure she didn't sleep more then three hours at a time. Other wise she ran the risk of slipping into a coma. Over all Shego thought Bonnie had done quite well. The mere fact that she had effortlessly deflected six bullets was amazing. She had come a long way in a short amount of time. In many ways the younger woman reminded Shego of herself. Her strength, her passion and her resolve all of which pushed her to excel. It impressed Shego and she found a kind of respect growing for her. With her run finished Shego grabbed a towel and a bottle of water. She stopped at the door to Bonnie's room. The door was cracked and light from within spilled out into the hallway. Shego looked in to discover the Bonnie was awake. She sat on the floor in the lotus position. Her hair was down falling over her shoulders. She was about to move away from the door when Bonnie opened her eyes and looked right at her.

"Are you just goona stand there?" Bonnie said. Shego pushed the door open and stepped into the room. She was impressed Bonnie could sense her.

"How are you?" Shego looked down at her.

"I feel like crap." Bonnie stood up.

"Then you should get some rest." Shego turned to leave but Bonnie grabbed her hand.

"Don't go." She heard the younger woman say. Shego turned back and looked at her hand grasped in Bonnie's. Something stirred within her, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. It made her head swim. Her eyes met Bonnie's

"Please, I don't want to be alone right now." Bonnie let go of her hand and looked down at the floor. Shego wasn't sure what to say, what to think or what to do. Shego cleared her throat.

"Bonnie, I need to take a shower." Shego said and noticed that Bonnie winced slightly. She sighed.

"But I'll come back." This statement seemed to make Bonnie feel better. She returned to the floor and went back to meditating. Shego proceeded to her own room where she shed her exercise outfit and got into the shower. As the water poured over her Shego rested her head against the tile.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked herself. This wasn't part of the plan. Trick the girl to gain her trust, train her, use her and discard her. That was the plan, she wasn't actually supposed to bond with her. Rule number one in her line of work, don't get personally involved and yet that's exactly what she had allowed to happen. What would happen if she didn't fight it? If just once she let her guard down and let someone in? She hadn't let anyone close in a very long time. Relationships always seemed like a waist of time. They never lasted and were the source of too much trouble. But, what if this was different? What if her plans succeeded and she got everything she wanted? Would there be room for someone else in that future? Shego turned off the faucet and stood still letting the water run off her body. Another voice piped up in her mind.

_Even if there isn't room for someone else in your future there's room in your bed._ It had also been a long time since she had bothered with that. She hadn't even felt an overwhelming need for it. She had Kim Possible to thank for that. The playful banter and consistent brawls with the feisty read headed hero had helped release a lot of sexual tension over the years. However it had been several months since their last run in and she was beginning to feel the return of a familiar itch.

_Bonnie has nice slender fingers…_ The voice in her head chimed in again. _Perfect for scratching itches._ Shego swore. She couldn't calculate the potential repercussions of taking her protégé into her bed. It could strengthen her hold over Bonnie, make her easier to manipulate or it could ruin everything.

_For once stop your damn calculating and take a gamble!_

But the risks…

_Screw the risks._

Shego shook her head silencing the voice. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. She had told Bonnie she would return and stay with her. It seemed like a dangerous proposition now. Shego moved back into her adjoining bedroom and there, on her bed, sat Bonnie.

* * *

In the next chapter: Shego and Bonnie's relationship becomes more complicated and our hero's plans are thrown off by the return of an old friend.

* * *

Author's Note: 2 things

First. I will try to get back into a rhythm of posting a new chapter every week or every other week from here on in. However, I am trying to break up a case of writer's block and negotiating a hectic schedule so please bear with me.

Second. If you like the story please take a moment or two and drop a review. I'd appreciate the feedback.


	8. Chapter 8

Bonnie

Bonnie sat on her matt in her room. She had been trying to meditate for nearly an hour, but found she simply couldn't concentrate. Her mind was troubled by thoughts that tumbled around like balls in a bingo cage. She had killed that bastard Lincoln. She shot him in the head, it was a better death then he deserved. Then the last thing she remembered was being in Shego's arms, those strong arms that seemed to envelop her. Bonnie's mind jumped to the first time she used her powers, remembered the way Shego's body pressed against hers. A shiver ran up Bonnie's back making her shake. Bonnie opened her eyes with a sigh. She stood and paced back and forth as her mind jumped again to her dream. While she was unconscious she dreamed about Shego. The woman's pale green skin on her own, their bodies moving together as one.

Bonnie swore aloud, she shouldn't be thinking like this. Everything she had been raised with told her it was wrong. But, did any of it matter anymore? Her family, friends, school and the plans she used to have were all gone. She was a different person now and all that she had become she owed to Shego. It was Shego who had been teaching her to go after what she wanted, to trust her instincts, to never apologies for being genuine. While they had waited for Lincoln she had been thinking about what she would do once she had gotten her revenge. She tried to ask Shego something. She wasn't sure how to form the question, but it was there. It was the reason she couldn't meditate and the source of her dreams. She had to ask the question before she could move forward with her other plans. She needed an answer. She went straight for Shego's room and slipped inside. The sound of the shower leaked out from the bathroom. Bonnie climbed on to the bed and crossed her legs under her. A moment later, the shower stopped but it was several more minutes before Shego appeared. She wore only a towel that revealed the top of her breasts and ended mid thigh. Shego spotted her immediately and place a hand on her hip.

"What are you doing in my room?" Shego asked.

"I need to ask you something." Bonnie replied. Shego came toward her, dark green eyes staring her down. Bonnie stood and met Shego's gaze. Seconds ticked by and Bonnie didn't back down.

"Ask." Shego said abruptly. Bonnie thought Shego was acting strange, agitated yet reserved. Bonnie decided to press on anyway she needed an answer.

"What happens when this is over?"

"Happens with what?" Shego moved closer.

"With us!" Bonnie could match her in physical presence. She used it to her advantage and moved in closer as well. As the distance between them diminished the tension grew. Bonnie could feel it in the air, about to snap. Shego's eyes wondered down Bonnie's body then back to her eyes.

"Is there an us?" Shego's voice was low almost husky. Bonnie could feel the warmth of her breath when she said "us". The question wasn't an evasion it was a challenge. Bonnie wrapped her arms around Shego and the remaining distance between them evaporated. Bonnie's lips made contact with Shego's. The brunette wasn't sure what to expect and was relived when she felt Shego's lips press back against hers. When they separated, Bonnie found Shego's eyes ablaze with desire.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Shego said.

"Hell yes." Bonnie leaned in to kiss her again but Shego shoved her backward. Bonnie fell roughly onto the bed. Shego came toward her, her towel dropped to the floor and she climbed on top of her. Bonnie suddenly understood why Shego was acting so strange. She had been holding this back and now Bonnie felt she had uncapped a geyser. Shego lowered herself on her until her lips brush against her ear making her shiver.

"Now you're mine." Shego whispered. Bonnie smiled and decided she could play that game too. Using a combination of her power and her physical strength Bonnie flipped Shego on to her back and moved atop her. Shego struggled but Bonnie held her down. Bonnie removed her shirt and threw it away. She wasn't wearing a bra. She leaned down pressing her bare skin to Shego's.

"Or maybe you're mine." Bonnie smiled.

* * *

Kim

Wade had managed to set up a meeting with Big Daddy Brotherson. She didn't know how, she didn't ask. Part of her was questioning the wisdom of meeting with the crime boss. However, she didn't feel she had a lot of options. Lincoln's murder was more then a coincidence. He was a link in the chain of recent events that had changed everything. The next link was Brotherson. If he wasn't responsible then he was potentially the next target. Either way she needed to hear the information from him. She wouldn't pretend it would be easy. Brotherson had no reason to cooperate with her. In fact he could just as easily have her killed. She and Wade had gone back and forth over all this for hours. He finally agreed to help when she agreed to let him design a bulletproof version of her mission outfit. Kim wasn't sure it would really offer much security, but it was enough to satisfy Wade.

"This is really bullet proof?" Kim said into the Kimmunicator. The clothes looked and felt almost identical to the old ones.

"No, their bullet resistant." Wade shook his head.

"What's the difference?"

"Well technically nothing is bullet proof." Wade explained. "But, that'll stop anything short of large caliber sniper rounds and heavy artillery."

"Have I mentioned you rock Wade?"

"Just be careful Kim." Wade hung up.

Kim took a look at her reflection in the full-length mirror Monique had in her bedroom. She had a few more scars and she had noticed a strand or two of gray hair. This life wasn't easy and it was taking a toll. For a moment Kim allowed the mirror to reflect more then her physical image.

"How long can I do this?" She asked her reflection. Just a couple years ago she had felt invincible. She thought she could live to be a hundred and still save the world between trips to the bathroom. Now, with her 20th birthday only weeks away Kim worried how much time she had left. Nana Possible kept telling her how young she was, how she had her whole life ahead of her. It used to be a comfort, but since that night such assurances held little solace. Everything was different now and she couldn't keep pretending things would eventually "get back to normal." Maybe when this current sitch was over she'd ask Dr. Director for a job. She could do well in an intelligence position. Working in an office with a window and one of those little plants, a job that had regular work hours, health benefits and an amazing girlfriend to come home to.

"That wouldn't be such a bad life, would it?" Kim asked out loud.

Kim whipped around. She sensed movement somewhere close. Monique was at work, so she should have been alone. "Shego" her mind screamed at her. Kim pushed her back against the wall beside the bedroom door. She stealthily peaked around the doorway into the apartment beyond but saw nothing. Kim entered into the main room. There was a blur of movement immediately to her left. Kim spun and kicked in the direction of the movement. Her kick was deflected by a lean figure dressed all in black. The gi and hood reminded her of the ninjas Drakken had once employed. There was a distinct difference however. All the ninjas that worked for Drakken were male and this was most evidently a woman. Kim lashed out with a series of blows alternating jabs and hooks with kicks to the ninjas legs. Whoever she was the ninja didn't try to attack back, responding only defensively. After a half a dozen blocked attempts one of Kim's punches made contact with the Ninja's jaw. The woman stumbled back a few steps dazed. Kim moved in quick, eager to take advantage of this.

"Kim stop!" A voice called out from behind her. Kim froze in mid swing. It was Ron's voice. Kim turned to see her old friend standing a short distance away. He too was dressed in a black gi but had removed his hood.

"Ron?" Kim blinked in disbelief. She turned back to the figure before her who bowed and removed her hood. The girl from the ninja school in Japan, Yori bowed again.

"My apologies Possible-sama" Yori said. The left side of her mouth showed a little bit of blood where Kim had hit her. The red head had to suppress the sudden urge to strike her again. Kim turned back to Ron her eyes ablaze with anger and confusion. "Ron, what the hell are you doing here?"

* * *

Bonnie

Bonnie rested with her back against Shego. They had fallen asleep after wearing each other out but Bonnie had been awake for a while now. From the sound of her breathing, she guessed Shego was still sleeping. It wasn't surprising really. Though she had dated her share of guys over the years she had never experienced the fire she felt with Shego. A fire that still burned, consuming her inside, feeding the hunger that had driven her into Shego's bed in the first place. She wondered if Shego felt the same way, wondered how it might affect their relationship. They were not questions she felt she could answer now. Besides, other things called for concentration. She had killed Lincoln and now she wanted to advance to the next name on her list.

Bonnie felt Shego's hands snake around her abdomen and pulled her tight.

"What are you thinking about?" Shego asked.

"Kind of a lot." Bonnie tried to evade.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Shego, would you do something for me?"

"Of course." Shego replied. "What do you want?"

"Kim Possible." Bonnie sighed. She felt Shego shift behind her. Bonnie sat up and turned toward her. She couldn't quite read Shego's expression.

"What do you want with her?"

"I want her to pay for letting my family die." Bonnie hardened her voice and narrowed her eyes.

"Good luck, I've tried to bring Kimmy down for years. She's hard to kill." Shego said.

Bonnie shook her head. "I didn't say I wanted her dead. I want her to pay." Shego's eyes widened as the implications of the statement were realized. "You want to go after her family?" Shego asked.

"No, I've got something else in mind."

* * *

Ron

This wasn't going anything like how he imagined it. Kim attacked Yori, and then turned to stare him down. She obviously wasn't happy to see him for if looks could kill, he'd be a dead man.

"KP chill it's me… us… it's weus." The words tumbled from his mouth. He had been in Middleton less then a day and he was already slipping into old habits.

"I can see that. What are you doing here?" Kim repeated. Ron felt his own anger stir within him.

"We're here to help you!" Ron spat.

"Thanks, but I don't need your help" Kim waved him away dismissively.

"What's gotten into you? You're not acting like the KP I know." Ron said. Kim responded in a way he didn't expect, she laughed. It wasn't her light humorous laugh, the one that could brighten a room and pulls others in to do the same. It was harsh and cold filled with biting sarcasm. When she stopped laughing she fixed him with an icy glare.

"I'm not the Kim you knew." Her voice was low but not soft and felt like a blow to the gut. Ron took a physical step backward stunned by her brutality. This surely wasn't the person that had been his best friend a mere eight weeks earlier. She had changed in the thousand different ways. If Ron were honest, he would have to admit that he had changed too. The difference, he reminded himself, was that he wanted to continue their friendship. Something that didn't seem to interest Kim in the slightest. In fact she seemed to be using him as a scapegoat. Ron didn't like it, but he wasn't about to give up.

"Kim, can we just talk?" Ron softened his voice a little. Kim didn't respond right away.

"Please?" Ron tried. After a few seconds Kim finally nodded. She gestured to the front door and followed Ron outside.

"Look, I know what's been happening." Ron said.

"How could you?" Kim shot at him.

Ron pulled at the collar of his gi and shifted his weight back and forth.

"Well I can't say exactly, but it has to do with secret ninja spies." Ron punctuated "ninja spies" with air quotes.

"And what did your ninja spies tell you?" Kim said mocking Ron's gestures and manor of speaking.

"That the Rockwiler's death's have something to do with Big Daddy Brotherson and the you're going to talk to him."

Kim smiled wryly. "Did they also tell you that Bonnie is alive and with Shego?"

"What?" He had not heard and wasn't prepared for the way Kim dropped it on him.

"Good help these days, huh?" Kim folded her arms. Ron shook off the shock and swallowed the comeback that came first to mind.

"What is Bonnie doing with Shego, how did she even survive?" Ron asked.

"That's one of the things I'm hoping Botherson can tell me."

"You know you can't go in there alone."

"You can't talk me out of it." Kim said.

"No but I am going with you." Ron took a step toward her. Kim turned to face Ron fully.

"Oh no you're not. You can't just show up and expect everything to be the way it was."

Ron fell silent. Was he really expecting that? He hadn't thought so but he didn't have much to say in his own defense. He was absolutely certain Kim needed his help. He needed to make Kim see that.

"Brotherson is dangerous and he likes to play games. You're going to need a partner." Ron tried. This time it was Kim who paused, closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them again he was expecting another hostel blow but instead Kim said.

"Fine, you can come." Ron almost smiled before Kim added. "Leave the ninja bimbo here." He didn't understand what Kim had against Yori. After all she was the most innocent one in all this. But, he didn't object, he didn't want to fight anymore.

* * *

Kim

The trip to Brotherson's club passed in relative silence. They flew in a Gulfstream G280, which Wade had borrowed, from some rich fat cat or another. Kim had lost count of the people Wade tapped for rides. She had to admit this ride was exceptionally nice. The cabin was open and spacious, the ride calm and very comfortable. The jet had a cruise velocity around 528 miles per hour. At that rate the entire trip would take about two hours. They even had access to a full galley though they hardly had use for it on such a short flight.

Kim periodically glanced over at Ron who was preoccupied with looking out one of the large windows. She was thankful for the silence. She had said some things back at the apartment that were perhaps too harsh. That was the nice way of putting it. Honestly she felt she had acted like a bitch. Problem was she was still mad at Ron and she wasn't sure how to stop. She couldn't apologize, not yet, not when he has so much to answer for. Maybe after this whole mess was sorted out the two of them could talk. Until then they'd have to make the best of it. Kim considered calling Monique again. She had been trying since leaving Middleton without success. She had left a message about the "guest" that was staying in the apartment but it wasn't enough. Kim wanted to talk to her, to explain what was going on more fully. She'd have to come up with something big to make this one up to Monique. Kim tried Monique's number again and again only got her voice mail. Kim hung up and swore under her breath. She checked the flight progress on a monitor in the wall next to her. They were still about an hour out. Kim stood and made her way over to Ron. Sitting next to him she watched him for a moment before clearing her throat.

"We've got about an hour before we touch down…"

"I know." Ron didn't turn, but continued to stare out the window.

"You said Brotherson likes to play games." Kim continued. "What kind of games and how do we beat them?"

"We don't" Ron shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"You play by his rules, if he likes you he'll deal if not…" Ron trailed off as if the rest were obvious.

"I'm amazed you know all this." Kim said.

"I'm amazed you're going to meet with him and you don't." Ron said flatly. Maybe it was meant as a shot at her. She knew she probably deserved it, she should have been mad, but instead a smile broke across her lips. When Ron finally turned to face her he was smiling too. It wasn't much but it disarmed the air of hostility between them and Kim found she could speak more freely. She knew now that Ron had been right. She did need him on this mission. She was so desperate to find answers she had thrown herself headlong into a situation she wasn't prepared for.

"So that's it, dance to his tune?" Kim huffed and then added. "I'm not very good at that."

"I know and that's why you need me." Ron winked. For some reason it was this small boyish gesture that reminded Kim of the Ron she used to call friend. She allowed her self to be caught up in the memory until a question brought her back to the present.

"Ron, where's Rufus?" Kim asked. Ron's eyes fell.

"He's um… not here." Ron's said quietly.

"Oh no, he didn't die did he?" Kim's hands covered her mouth. Ron seemed to think about the question before he spoke again.

"No, he's not dead…" Ron's eyes slid back and forth lost in a memory he couldn't seem to escape from.

"I'll explain it later." Then changing subjects he said. "Why are you living with Monique?"

Kim felt warmth in her cheeks and knew she must be blushing. She turned away from Ron afraid she had already revealed too much but if he saw it he didn't offer a comment. Kim thought about lying to him but quickly dismissed the thought. They had left Yori in the apartment and she was bound to find out. It wasn't something she could hide from Ron forever and it would be best if he heard it from her. Kim's head sank into her shoulders.

"When I woke up you were gone…" Kim's said softly. "The only one who was there for me was Monique." Kim looked back over at Ron. His face was a mask of indifference she couldn't read. She pressed on.

"She had me stay with her after the hospital released me. She was so great helping me recover. Then one night I woke from a nightmare and she was there…" Kim's voice gave out on her. She tried to speak but found her words choked with emergent tears that formed in her eyes. She felt Ron's hand settle on her shoulder.

"You're together." He said. "Aren't you?"

Kim nodded. "Do you hate me?"

"Of course not." Ron said somehow keeping his voice even and calm.

"The truth is I knew there would be consequences when I left. I guess I just lost sight of that in the excitement of seeing you again." Ron's honesty was comforting in an odd way. The same way she had always found him comforting. She almost let herself believe there might be hope of salvaging some kind of friendship.

"Besides…" Ron's voice cut into her thoughts. "It would be hypocritical of me to hate you for that." Kim's mouth dropped open as the meaning registered.

"You and Yori?" Kim asked.

"We kinda kissed… once." Ron confessed. Kim held back a smile and pretended to act stern.

"You kiss her or she kissed you?" Kim said.

"I don't know… it just happened…" Ron pulled back into a defensive posture. Kim let the smile slip in and she even laughed. Ron smiled too.

"You care about her?" Kim asked.

"I do." Ron nodded. "Do you care about Monique?"

"I'm crazy about her." Kim said. There was a long stretch of silence between them. Ron broke it and said. "I'm glad." Then he went back to looking out the window. Kim laid back in her seat. She wondered if Ron were really glad about the way things had worked out. Maybe he was, maybe they needed to be glad for all they had. Maybe it was that simple. Kim closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

* * *

In the next chapter:

Kim and Ron enter into the meeting with Big Daddy Brotherson. Meanwhile Monique and Yori are drawn into the fray.


	9. Chapter 9

Just over an hour later their plane touched down at LAX international airport in Los Angeles California. A new nightclub had recently opened in downtown L.A. The papers declared it thee new hot spot for anyone who could afford the cover charge. The club was owned by Brotherson and was his current hideaway. Brotherson was becoming increasingly paranoid and moved around a lot. He didn't stay in one place very long, his stays were becoming shorter and shorter. The longest was one week the shortest a single night. He was a difficult man to catch and yet he had, for some reason, agreed to this meet. That meant Brotherson thought he had something to gain from the encounter. Kim wasn't sure what it was but they would find out soon enough. On the tarmac a black limo waited for them. Wade had said Brotherson was taking care of transportation to and from the airport. When Kim saw the limousine idling on the black top she suddenly wondered if the jet also belonged to Brotherson. It made some sense but she still couldn't think of a reason Brotherson would bring them all this way on his own dime. The driver opened the door for them. Kim hesitated suddenly unsure of getting into the vehicle. Ron came to stand beside her and placed a hand on her arm.

"It will be alright." Ron said. "I'll protect you."

Kim looked at him and her unease lightened. Kim gave him a playful shove.

"You mean you'll run around while I protect you."

"Yeah we'll see…" They laughed together.

The driver didn't speak a word as he drove to the club. Kim and Ron spent most of the trip watching the city blur past them. It had been a long time since they had been in LA, though nothing had changed. When they reached the club the limo pulled around the back of the building. They went down a ramp into a subterranean parking deck reserved for VIPs. Kim and Ron were let out by an elevator, which stood open. Two men in pinstripe suits waited outside. As they approached Kim caught a glimpse of something protruding from the left breast of one man's suit. It was the grip of a gun in a shoulder holster. Kim tapped Ron on the leg and nodded slightly toward the guard. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ron give a delicate nod. He saw it too.

"Looks like we've got Tweedledee and Tweedledum." Ron whispered. The guards stopped them short of the elevator.

"You'll need to hand over all electronic devices and submit to a pat down before we can let you proceed." Tweedledee said.

"Excuse me?" Kim took a step back. The guard repeated the request. No, it was not a request. It was a command, the price of admission. The tables were turning now. The comfy flight and the limousine ride were pretext, meant to build a sense of good will. Brotherson wanted them in good spirits, malleable. _Let the games begin _Kim thought.

"I can't do that." Kim replied.

"If you want this meeting to happen you'll have to." Tweedledee replied. "It's nothing personal."

Nothing personal he said while his hand went to the pistol inside his sports jacket. He didn't pull it out, the threat of force was supposed to be enough. Kim didn't take threats well. Kim kicked Tweedledee in the crotch and drove her forearm under his chin pushing back against the wall behind him. Tweedledum started to go for his own gun but Ron kicked him behind his right knee and pulled him into a chokehold. Kim pulled the guard's pistol from its holster and backed away pointing the gun at him. Kim never had much interest in guns but she knew how to use them. Dr. Director had insisted she take some light weapons training soon after she started working with Global Justice. She had also picked up a few things from all the military and government agents she had come into contact with over the years. The gun she held was a Sig Sauer 220 Carry variant. It was a special version of the 220 model meant for concealed carry, like the shoulder holster the guards were using. It fired .45 caliber ACP rounds. Kim kept the gun's safety on, she didn't really intend on shooting the guard. However, she did want to take back control of the situation. Tweedledum thrashed about in Ron's grip, but with little to show for it. Ron was holding tight enough to cut off blood flow and air. If Ron didn't let up the guard would likely be unconscious within another minute. Kim and Tweedledee stared at each other. Neither moved. Then the guard slowly raised a hand to his ear. He was wearing an earwig and someone was feeding him instructions.

"Yes sir I understand." Tweedledee said. He stood and gestured to the elevator. "The boss will see you now."

Kim looked at Ron and nodded. Ron released Tweedledum. Kim held the gun out to its owner who took it and slid it back into its holster. Kim and Ron stepped into the elevator. Before the doors closed Kim heard Tweedledee say, "Have a nice day." Though the way he said it implied another meaning. After a short pause the elevator rose headed directly for Brotherson's privet suite.

* * *

Monique

For better or worse one of Monique's qualities was her slow burning temper. Better because she could take most things in stride and didn't get angry often. Worse because when she did loose her temper she went nuclear and even surprised herself with some of her outbursts. It didn't happen very often, in fact it had been a while, she was overdue. The day's events had not helped any. Three cashiers had all called out at once leaving the store woefully understaffed and forcing Monique to work a double shift. She had been kept so busy she hadn't even had time to check her messages before returning to the apartment. Finding the dark haired ninja girl in her home instead of Kim was the final straw. She was angry, very. She wanted someone to yell at, to scream at. She wanted someone to blame. However, Monique still had enough sense not to loose her venom on the Japanese girl she didn't know. Instead she practically ignored Yori, went to her bedroom and slammed the door shut. She was fumbling for her phone in her purse when she heard the first noise. _Yip, Yip, Yip._ It was her neighbors Jack Rustle Terrier named Jasmine or more affectionately known as Jazzy. Monique didn't especially like dogs, little ones in particular but Jasmine was unique. The little dog was friendly, which was unique because her owners got her from a rescue shelter. Jazzy had been found tied to a tree neglected and abused. But the little dog had taken to her new owners in a profound way. The only remaining evidence of Jazzy's troubled past was that she didn't bark. Monique couldn't remember ever hearing the dog bark, until now. _Yip, Yip, Yip._ Jasmine barked again. Strange though it maybe Monique ignored it finally retrieving her phone. One of her messages was from Kim telling her Ron was back in town and warning about the Japanese girl named Yori. Monique dialed Kim's number and was instantly shuffled to the voice mail.

"Kim, what's going on? You had better have a really good explanation for this or I swear you'll be sleeping with Jazzy instead of me." Monique ended the call with a sigh. She would have to go out and face this Yori girl sooner or later. Monique peeled her work uniform off and pulled a set of pajamas from the dresser. That's when she heard the second sound. It was similar to the thumping squirrels and raccoons made when they scurried across the roof. However, something didn't sound right, something heavier moved across her roof. Monique quickly got dressed in the PJs suddenly uneasy. Jazzy barking, thumps on the roof and a ninja girl in her living room. Monique started to move for the bedroom door when… _crash_! The sound of breaking glass issued from the other side of the door, followed by feet shuffling and sounds of a struggle. Monique yanked the door open and saw Yori fighting with a tall black haired woman. She wore a green and black jump suit and her hands were glowing with some kind of green fire. Shego, the name came to her memory from news articles and Kim's stories. Shego was driving Yori backward, overpowering her. Yori took a kick to her abdomen, which sent her reeling backward. She landed on the coffee table crushing it. Then another person appeared in front of Monique and she had just enough time to register the face of an old schoolmate before she was knocked unconscious.

* * *

Kim

Big Daddy Brotherson was not at all what Kim had imagined. In physical appearance he matched neither his name nor his reputation. At five foot nothing Brotherson was a short stout man with no hair. His eyes were sunken in and seemed too small for his head. He wore an expensive three-piece suit that Kim guessed had been custom made. He wore gold rings on the third and fourth fingers of his left hand. A gold chain fell across his neck and disappeared into his sports jacket. As they approached Brotherson held up a hand to stop them.

"The password…" Brotherson voice was higher pitched then Kim expected and creaked like a warped wooden door. Kim looked at Ron and raised an eyebrow. He hadn't said anything about a password.

"Heartless" Ron declared without blinking. Kim continued to look at Ron. He had held at least one thing back from her and she couldn't help but wonder what else he had failed to mention. She knew why he did it, he wanted to be useful, to be necessary. But, it didn't do much to help rebuild trust. Brotherson nodded to them and they were allowed to approach. Brotherson sat on a small mat on the floor. Similar mats sat opposite him for Kim and Ron.

"Kim Possible." Brotherson pointed one of his stubby fingers at her. "That was a gutsy move down there."

"Sometimes you need to be a little gutsy to get someone's attention." Kim said. Had she already blown the whole meeting? Had they walked into a trap? She couldn't say but she couldn't back down now.

"Well you certainly achieved that." Brotherson chuckled.

"We weren't trying to cause trouble." Ron stepped in. Kim gave him a sideways glance. She remembered what he had said on the plane about jumping through Brotherson's hoops. He was trying to put them back on track, trying to save the meeting before she permanently derailed it.

"Some people don't have to try." Brotherson was saying. "They simply are trouble and carry it with them everywhere they go. However, there were no serious injuries and I found the whole thing rather amusing."

Kim breathed a sigh of relief. Things weren't ruined, but she would have to be more careful from here on in.

"We're here because we need information." Kim said. Brotherson waved the comment away. "Yes, yes, we'll get to that. First I want to talk about what you will do for me." That confirmed it. Brotherson had an agenda all along. They weren't there to ask for his help, they had been brought there so he could ask for theirs.

"You want us to do a job for you?" Kim asked.

"Not exactly, actually I want information too. Information I believe you can get for me." Brotherson stroked his chin and paused.

"What do you want to know?" Ron asked.

"I recently lost one of my men. He was murdered in the basement of his apartment building." Brotherson said. Kim and Ron glanced at each other. They had been right about Lincoln being an important part of recent events. His murder had drawn all of them to this meeting.

Kim cleared her throat. "You're talking about D-Link."

"Yes." Brotherson hissed.

"You want us to find out who killed him?"

"That's correct." Brotherson nodded. "I recently found out that Lincoln had been working jobs on the side. I believe his death may be connected to who ever he was pulling those extra jobs for."

Kim said "He did a job about two months ago, in Middleton." Brotherson closed his eyes. It seemed they knew more then he expected and his reaction was enough to confirm Kim's suspicions.

"I had nothing to do with that bombing. It was one of the jobs Lincoln took on his own."

"Are you the one who tipped off GJ about the Rockwallers being in danger?" Kim asked.

Brotherson nodded. "It was all I could do."

"We found evidence that Kyle Rockwaller worked for you." Brotherson raised an eyebrow. "He kept a set of books on my wholly legitimate businesses."

"Our evidence indicated that he was in deep and wanted to get out." Kim said.

"Ridiculous, he had no reason to leave and if he did I would have let him… I believe you've been misled."

Kim nodded her head. The information had been planted. It was a red haring meant to lead in the wrong direction, to Brotherson. There was only one person who stood to gain by all of this.

"I did not kill that family. It is most likely that whoever ordered the hit killed Lincoln also. Find out who that is and I will tell you anything you want to know." It was quite an offer, almost too generous. Brotherson surely had the resources to find the killer himself. Why was he asking them and why did he continue to show concern for a street thug? Ron must have been thinking the same thing because he spoke up again.

"What was so special about this D-Link guy?" Ron asked.

"Who said he was special?" Brotherson shrugged.

"We're saying it." Kim broke in. She told Brotherson what they knew about D-Link, his arrest and subsequent induction to the organization, the special treatment. When Kim finished Brotherson lowered his chin to his chest. He didn't speak for a time. When he opened his eyes again he looked over at one of his men.

"Queen's Knight to Queen's Bishop 3" He said. Kim glanced over at the man Brotherson spoke to wondering if it were some kind of code. It turned out not to be a code at all. The man stood near a chessboard, the position of the pieces indicated a long game was being played. The man made the corresponding move for the gangster. Kim wondered who his opponent was. Brotherson turned back to them. "I apologize for the tangent. I've been trying to figure out that move for hours." Kim decided she didn't care who Brotherson played games with. She needed the information.

"You still haven't answered the question. Why is the death of a double dealing street thug important to someone like you?"

"It's important…" Brotherson took a breath. "Because the street thug was my son."

* * *

Monique

She didn't know how long she had been unconscious. When she woke she was lying in a small white room. The clothes she had been wearing were gone. Replaced by a gray jump suit. When she sat up the suit pulled at her chest. It was a size to small and didn't fit.

"Monique-san, I am pleased you are alright." Monique turned to see Yori sitting a short distance behind her. The Japanese girl also wore a snug fitting jump suit. Yori had a black eye, a swollen cheek and a puffy lip that she had before the fight with Shego. They each sat on a thin mattress, which were just about the only things in the room with them. A metal bucket sat in one corner with a single role of toilet paper and a package of wet wipes. That was the extent of their provisions. There was no proper toilet and no sink. The whole room was less then 3 meters square with no windows. A single florescent bulb hung from the middle of the ceiling. The walls were bare concrete and cold to the touch.

"Where are we?" Monique leaned her head in her hands. Her head throbbed and the florescent light didn't help.

"I do not know, I could not see where they brought us."

"The woman you were fighting is named Shego, right?" Monique cradled her head so she could look at Yori.

"Yes, she is a strong and dangerous enemy."

"You sound like you admire her."

"Sensei says only one kind of person fails to respect his opponent." Yori said.

"The foolish?" Monique asked.

Yori shook her head. "No, the dead." Monique nodded and shut her eyes the light was still too much, pounding her brain.

"Who was the other girl, the one who attacked you?" Yori asked.

"Bonnie…" Monique mumbled.

"What?"

"Her name is Bonnie… she used to be a friend."

"Then she did not parish with her family." Yori fell silent after that. Monique didn't know what else to say. Just a few days ago she had thought Bonnie was dead too. Until Kim had told her about the evidence she had found in New Zealand. Since then nothing made much sense. She wanted to pretend their abduction didn't make sense either. That there was no reason for it, but she knew better. Kim and Ron were out somewhere together. If Shego and Bonnie wanted to get to them then it made perfect sense to work through her and Yori. The door clicked loudly as the lock disengaged and the door opened inward. Bonnie entered first followed by Shego, who rested her back against the far wall near the door. She crossed her legs and proceeded to file her nails. She showed a surprising amount of disinterest. Bonnie however stepped into the room her attention fixated on Monique.

"Long time no see, huh Monique?" Bonnie palled.

"What's going on here Bonnie?" Monique said. Her anger had intensified but she swallowed it. She wanted to scream at Bonnie but knew it was probably exactly what she wanted.

"I just want to talk, we haven't talked in a while."

"You abducted us so we could talk?" Monique said.

"Well I can't make social calls like I used to…" Bonnie shrugged. "I'm kinda dead."

"You look alive to me." Monique said.

"I guess that depends." Bonnie's bangs fell covering one eye.

"On what?" Monique asked.

"On who you think I am…" Bonnie smiled. Monique opened her mouth to respond but then shut it again. Bonnie was running some kind of game and Monique didn't want to play. Bonnie shrugged off her silence and flipped her hair away from her face.

"I hear Ron's back in town." Bonnie said. "Does he know about you and Kim?" Monique felt as if the ground physically shifted under her feet. Bonnie had rapidly swung the focus onto her striking deep with her first dig. Monique forced herself to calm down. She already knew Bonnie was trying to push her buttons. Wanted a reaction. She didn't really know anything about her and Kim. How could she?

"You don't know anything." Monique said evenly.

"I know she's not sleeping on your couch!" Bonnie's smile widened showing off her teeth. She was content with herself. Monique put her defenses back up, she wouldn't give Bonnie the satisfaction of a response.

"Well if he doesn't, he will soon."

"What do you want Bonnie?" Monique finally spoke. Bonnie knelt in front of her so they could see eye to eye. Bonnie's hair fell into her face again.

"Your girlfriend has some things to answer for." Bonnie's voice was calm and slick as oil.

"First and foremost, she let my family die."

"That's a lie." Monique said.

"How many people has she rescued over the years? How many has she saved?" Bonnie's voice didn't change but the eye Monique could see burned with hatred.

"Kim did everything she could to save your family."

"Believe what you want, it doesn't change anything. You are going to pay for her sins." Bonnie said. Monique couldn't bite it back any longer.

"Go to hell." She spat.

"I'll see you there." Bonnie stood and turned her attention to Yori.

"Not sure what to do with you yet, you weren't really part of the plan." To her credit Yori said nothing. Then a series of beeps emanated from Shego's direction. The dark haired woman pulled out a device similar to a cell phone and looked at it.

"Bonnie, time to go." Shego moved to the door.

"We'll finish this later." Bonnie smiled, winked and then followed Shego out. The door closed and the lock clicked back into place. Once the door shut Yori came over and sat next to her.

"Is it true? You and Kim Possible are… a couple?" The Asian girl seemed troubled by the concept. Monique looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What, they don't have lesbians in Japan?"

"Forgive me." Yori bowed her head. Monique realized she had been a little harsh. She had no reason to snap at Yori. Bonnie was the one she was angry with. In fact it was her fault Yori was in this mess.

"No, it was my bad." Monique offered.

"I did not mean to insult you."

"I know." Monique nodded. "Ask whatever you want."

* * *

In the Next Chapter:

The meeting with Brotherson continues as more revelations come to light.

Monique and Yori discuss plans for escape and receive help from an unlikely source.


	10. Chapter 10

Kim

Once she got over her initial shock of what Brotherson had told them she felt the new information click solidly into place. Things began to make sense again. Some of it was still guess work and conjecture but it fit.

"Lincoln was the product of an indiscretion many years ago. When he was incarcerated his mother came seeking my help." Brotherson explained. Kim mulled this over. She couldn't be sure but for the moment is was safe to bet Lincoln had been chosen because of this relation to Brotherson. Shego was up to something and somehow it involved Bonnie. Though it was possible Lincoln was killed to keep him from talking about the Rockwaller job Kim did not think that was the case. It didn't make sense that Shego would have waited nearly two months to take him out. Lincoln's murder only made sense as an act of revenge and that pointed to one killer.

Kim spoke "I know who killed Lincoln." Ron looked at her as if this were news to him as well.

"The person responsible for Lincoln's murder is Shego." It wasn't lying Kim told herself. Even though Bonnie was likely the one who pulled the trigger, Shego was the one wielding Bonnie like a weapon. Brotherson snapped his fingers and a man appeared next to Kim holding a manila envelope. "It seems we have an enemy in common Miss Possible, but our paths diverge from here." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Ron spoke up.

"I will take care of Shego, you have another problem that you should concern yourself with."

Kim looked at the envelope but didn't take it.

"There's something else at play here." Kim said.

"More than you likely realize." Brotherson retorted.

"Shego's abducted a schoolmate of ours…"

Brotherson raised an eyebrow. "For what purpose?"

"We're not sure yet." It was Ron who spoke this time. She suddenly felt guilty about resenting Ron for holding back Brotherson's password. After all she had held some things back from him as well.

"Can we have you're word that you won't harm her?" Kim asked. It was a bold request, too bold perhaps but since she learned that Bonnie might be alive she couldn't help feel protective of her. It may have been motivated more by guilt then concern but regardless it was there and it was strong.

"You have my word." Brotherson responded a little too quickly it seemed to Kim. But there wasn't time to figure out why. She took the folder, which was still being held out to her.

"What's this other problem?" Kim opened the envelope.

"Go ask your precious Global Justice Director. It seems she made a deal with Shego awhile back thinking she could keep her on a leach." Kim would have raised an objection except she had begun reading the files in the envelope. They were transcripts of interactions between Dr. Director and Shego. Brotherson was telling the truth.

"How did you get these?" Kim asked.

Brotherson chuckled. "Global Justice spies on us and we spy on them… I'm sure you'd rather I skip the details."

Kim nodded and stood. Ron looked up at her for a moment and then rose to join her.

"Be careful with Shego, she maybe coming for you." Brotherson merely smiled.

* * *

Kim

They arrived at Global Justice headquarters. Kim had to talk to Dr. Director. She had to hear her side of the story. Hear her justify a partnership with Shego. Kim paced anxiously while Ron sat in one of the plush red chairs. He held a Styrofoam cup between his hands.

The cup contained black coffee, which was now lukewarm. Ron tried to take a sip but aborted the attempt at the last second.

"You'd think a place like this could spring for some decent java." Ron lamented.

"Since when do you drink coffee?" Kim asked.

"Usually I don't, but do you know how many time zones I've crossed in the past two days?" Kim stopped pacing and sat in a chair next to Ron. She had been driving herself hard. Telling herself that she had to stay strong, keep moving, get the job done no matter the cost. It wasn't until now that she allowed herself to feel just how weary she was. Kim plucked the Styrofoam cup from Ron's hands and raised it to her lips.

"You might as well drink a cup of warm motor oil." Kim held the cup at arms length and dropped it into a nearby trashcan.

The Director's administrative assistant walked over to them and explained that they could go into the director's office. When they entered they knew immediately that something was wrong. The person who sat behind the large desk was not Dr. Director but her second in command Lucas Lindsay. He started out working firearm suppression for ATF and later did some work for the CIA before Dr. Director recruited him into Global Justice. He was obviously good at his job Dr. Director only accepted the best. Despite his long list of accolades Kim didn't like Lindsay very much. Actually she thought he was a pompous prick who was too ambitious for his own good. She kept these opinions to herself of course. She didn't need any more allies turned into enemies.

"My apologies for keeping to waiting so long, but I've been busy trying to clean up the huge mess out director left this morning." Lindsay said from behind the desk.

"What are you talking about? Where's Dr. Director?" Kim demanded. Lindsay looked at her skeptically.

"Then you haven't heard?" He said with a sigh. "Our illustrious leader didn't come into work today… She's not at home and no one has seen her since last night."

"Maybe someone got to her." Ron said. Lindsay shook his head.

"There's no sign of foul play, all the evidence we've found suggests she left of her own will."

"Why would she do that?" Ron asked.

"I don't know and I don't care." Lindsay shrugged. "I've got a global intelligence network to run. Do you have any more questions?" She had dozens of them but she didn't think asking would do much good. Lindsay was obviously making a carrier move. He had priorities and helping them wasn't one of them.

"No, we're done." Kim turned on her heal and walked out of the office. Behind her she heard Ron thank Lindsay for seeing them. He caught up with her at the secretary's desk.

"What was that about?" Ron asked.

"He's an ass." Kim said.

"Maybe he's just really overwhelmed." Kim looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're right… he's totally an ass." Ron admitted. "Is that why you didn't tell him about the information we got from Brotherson?"

"Those files are enough to bury the Director. I don't want anyone else to see them until I've had a chance to talk to her." Kim said.

"That could get you into trouble… Lindsay might see it as withholding evidence or obstruction." Ron counseled. Kim shook her head.

"I don't care I need to hear her side of things before I can decide what to do with the files."

"Alright, if that's how you want to play it I'll back you up." Ron replied. Kim once again found herself comforted by Ron's loyalty. The subject of loyalty got her thinking of Monique. She needed to get home. She wasn't entirely comfortable with Monique and Yori being alone together. Not because she feared they wouldn't get along, but that they might get along too well and start sharing stories that could cause trouble for both her and Ron.

"Come on." Kim said. "Let's get back before Monique and Yori get into trouble."

"You think they'll get into trouble?"

"Our love interests together in one place." Kim said.

Ron nodded. "If they don't get into trouble we will." Kim was looking forward to seeing Monique again. She wasn't looking forward to the conversation that would follow. There was entirely too much drama to deal with and as she thought about it she again felt very tired.

* * *

Monique

"We must find a way to escape." Yori said. Monique didn't argue with her, but she had serious doubts about whether it was even possible. It was hard to keep track of time in their little prison cell but Monique guessed it had been a few hours since Bonnie and Shego had left. They hadn't returned since.

"You have a plan?" Monique asked mostly out of curiosity. She didn't expect the Asian girl would actually have an idea. However, Yori proved to be more resourceful then Monique anticipated. Yori combed through her hair with her fingers until they caught on something. She grabbed it and Monique could see it was a very fine wire, which had been woven seamlessly into her hair. Yori slowly worked it free and when she was done she held a seven-inch section of wire. She repeated this process pulling out a second piece the same size as the first. She then began to fold and twist the wire into specific shapes.

"I believe I can pick the lock." Yori said.

"I guess it's a start." Monique said though she already wondered what they would do next. They had no idea what lay beyond their cell door. There was no guarantee that opening the door would mean they could escape. One thing at a time she told herself. Yori had contorted the wires into the lock picks she needed and rose to head for the door. Before she could take a step sparks erupted from between the door and the frame. The sparks moved quickly tracing around the frame. Then they stopped as suddenly as they started. Smoke clouded her vision but Monique could still see well enough to watch as the door fell flat to the ground. In the doorway a new visitor stood. Monique couldn't see who is was right away, but as the smoke cleared the person's features came into focus. She was an older woman with short brown hair and an eye patch. She wore camouflage army fatigues and held a Beretta M9 handgun.

"Director-soma." Yori bowed toward the woman.

"I'm glad you're both uninjured." The woman said.

"Who are you?" Monique demanded.

"You can call me Betty. I'm a friend." Monique couldn't help suspecting the woman, but Yori seemed to trust her.

"We should go." Betty said. "We don't have much time…"

"Wrong again…" The voice came from behind Betty, Shego's voice. Her tone was flat and cold as ice.

Betty's grip on her gun tightened slightly.

"I wouldn't…" Shego said. "Drop it." Betty considered a moment but then let her gun fall clattering to the floor. She turned half facing Shego.

"I knew you'd figure it out eventually but to come here yourself." Shego clicked her tongue.

"It's not like I could send a rookie." Betty said with a smile. It was an odd gesture Monique thought. Clearly there was history between these two women.

"I guess you did paint yourself into a corner." Shego smiled and chuckled under her breath.

"Seriously Beth…" Shego said, the smile was gone and the chill had returned to her voice. "Did you really think you could just walk in here and walk back out again?" Betty didn't answer for a moment then she nodded. "Maybe I still do…" Betty turned fully to face Shego. "and I hate when you call me Beth." Betty extended her arm and a small gun sprang from her sleeve to her hand. Shego saw it and dropped to one knee as Betty brought the gun up to where her head had just been. Shego's right hand ignited with green energy, she sprang forward and lashed out. Betty tried to dodge but Shego caught some fabric and tore a large whole in the side of her shirt. The impact spun her around and sent her off balance. Shego struck again more acutely leaving three gashes across her back. Betty dropped to one knee with a grunt. A red stain grew across her back. Shego stood over her.

"You should have left well enough alone." Shego stretched out her arm and charged her power for a deathblow. She was so focused on Betty that she hadn't noticed Yori maneuver behind her. Monique barely had time to see it before Yori moved. She swept Shego's legs out from under her. She followed by kicking Shego in the face before she could recover. Yori moved in to deliver another blow but her body suddenly froze and an eye blink later her body was thrown backward. She struck the wall hard enough to knock the breath from her lungs. She collapsed on the floor gasping for air.

Bonnie moved into the room to help Shego. Betty reached inside her combat vest and pulled out a small rounded object the size and shape of a hockey puck. Betty sent it sliding across the floor and it stopped at Bonnie's feet. Shego saw and her eyes went wide.

"Bonnie run now!" Shego barked. Bonnie looked down at the disk. Betty flattened herself on the floor and covered her head. Monique didn't have time to follow her example before the device exploded with a deafening boom and a blinding burst of light. Monique couldn't see, she couldn't hear. She wasn't even sure if she were still standing. Suddenly she became aware that someone had gripped her arm and was pulling her forward. Monique blinked repeatedly and slowly her vision cleared. Betty was running through a hallway pulling her behind. Yori was slumped over Betty's shoulder. The wound in Betty's back was still bleeding staining the hem of her pants. Her shirt was tattered, torn and barely held together. They came to a door at the end of the hall. Betty let go of her hand and opened the door. They fled into daylight. Betty turned toward her and said something but Monique found she couldn't understand her over the ringing in her ears. Betty started to repeat herself but her eyes were drawn to something else, something behind her. Betty gave her a shove and then practically threw Yori into her arms. Betty pulled the M9 she must have recovered from its holster. She brought it up and managed to squeeze off a single shot. Monique turned to see Shego standing just outside the door. Betty's bullet missed by a mere inch imbedding itself in the door next to Shego's head. Then Monique saw the ball of green energy already in the air. It flew in slow motion in the direction the bullet had just come. Betty didn't have enough time to evade it. She brought her arms up to shield her face and the ball of energy struck her in full force. Betty was knocked backward and Monique could see her left arm burst into green flames. She heard Betty scream, smelled burnt flesh. Shego was coming toward them, her hands glowing, her eyes blazing. Everything seemed so far away like she was just a spectator watching things play out on a movie screen. It didn't seem real. But it was real and Monique found she had only one intelligible thought… that she was about to die.

* * *

In the next chapter:

Brotherson has disappeared. Shego and Bonnie have gone to ground. The pieces begin to fall into place for a final and deadly confrontation.

* * *

Author's Note:

I apologize for the delay and the shortness of this chapter, I'm afraid the holidays did a number on me. The story should start picking up speed from here until the end so keep an eye out because there isn't a whole lot left.


	11. Chapter 11

Monique

We're all going to die… the thought ricocheted inside her skull. She wanted to run, tried to run, but her legs didn't move. Shego drew closer. She raised one hand and green energy began to build into a swirling ball in her palm. Monique looked down at Yori who she still held in her arms. She mouthed a silent apology to Yori for getting her into this mess. She apologized to Kim for not being stronger, for leaving her like this. She apologized to her family for all the disappointment she caused. Monique looked back up at Shego. She would not cower. She would not give Shego the satisfaction of showing fear. She accepted her death. Then in an instant Ron Stoppable appeared in front of her. His arms out stretched to the sides, acting as a shield. She could barely hear him as he said. "Run!" A blur of motion drew her gaze back to Shego and she saw a flourish of orange hair. It was Kim. She and Shego were already locked in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

"Run now!" Ron pointed to their car parked a hundred feet away. Monique helped Yori to the vehicle. She glanced back once, saw Ron lift Betty into his arms and start after them. Meanwhile Kim and Shego still traded blows. They were talking too but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Where was Bonnie Monique wondered? She kept expecting to see her emerge from the building to join the fight but the doorway remained empty. They were at the car now Ron opened the rear hatch. He pressed a button that was disguised to look like a bolt and the trunk floor slid apart with a hiss. Beneath lay a black box that was filled with a wispy fog. Ron gently lowered Betty into the box. As he did the Director's shirt tore apart and came off her. Ron rolled it up and set it to the side. He pressed the same bolt and trunk floor hissed back into place.

"What is that?" Monique asked.

"It will keep her alive until we can get her help." Ron answered. "Now get in the car!" Monique helped Yori into a seat and got in herself. Ron slid into the drivers seat and started the engine. Out the windshield they could see Kim land a hit on Shego knocking her to the ground. Kim leapt at her, Shego countered kicking her into the air. Kim landed on her back and Shego was on top of her before she could recover. Shego straddled her and tried to deliver a blow to her face but was blocked.

"Strap in this could get… interesting." Ron put the car in gear and stomped on the gas. The car shot forward toward the fighting women. Kim turned her head to look at them, saw them coming. Shego took advantage of this momentary distraction and grabbed both Kim's arms at the wrist and pinned them to the ground beside her head. Monique guessed they were maybe 60 feet away closing the distance fast. She could see Shego say something to Kim. Kim spit in Shego's face stunning her. Kim worked her knees up and forced Shego off her.

40 feet away now Ron pushed a set of buttons in the dash and the passenger's door popped open. Shego got to her feet and her hands erupted with green energy. Kim smiled at Shego and gave her a playful wave. With less then 20 feet to go Kim jumped into the air with a pirouetting back flip and landed gracefully on the roof of the car. Ron kept going at full speed pulling onto a small service road leading away from the building. Kim let herself down into her seat and belted in. She hit another sequence of buttons and her door closed.

"Is she following?" Kim asked looking in the mirrors.

"I don't think so." Ron answered. Kim patted him on the shoulder and turned in her seat to look at them.

She tried to smile but it was marred by concern and regret. "Are you okay?" Monique wasn't sure how to answer her. Her brain had not kept up with everything that had just happened. She thought she was going to die. Was she okay? The question was as trite as it was obvious. "No." Monique managed. "I'm no where near…"

Kim looked at her anxiously as if she were waiting for a "but". When one didn't come Kim turned her attention to Yori who was out cold.

"What happened to her?"

"Bonnie threw her against a concrete wall." Monique replied.

"What about Dr. Director?" Kim asked to no one in particular.

"She's in bad shape." Ron answered. Kim turned to face forward again. She began playing with the screen in the center console. The screen changed several times before Kim found the one she was looking for. It was a read out of vital signs. Kim looked them over.

"Her vitals are holding, but we need to get her help fast." Kim touched a small icon in the corner of the screen and Wade's image appeared.

"How'd the big rescue go?" Wade said.

"Monique and Yori weren't hurt bad but Dr. Director's pretty torn up. She's going to need serious medical attention and soon." Kim told him.

"I'll alert GJ and have a medical transport meet you at the extraction point." Wade's image winked out. There was an audible sigh of relief from Kim. Monique on the other hand didn't feel at ease. Even though they had been rescued, even though she was with Kim again, she simply didn't feel safe. For a moment she wondered if she ever would again.

* * *

Shego

Shego continued to stare after the car until the dust settled in the empty dirt road. Then she spun on the balls of her feet and went back inside. Bonnie was limping toward her, supporting herself with one hand on the wall.

"Don't waste the effort, their gone." Shego said. Bonnie's brow furled with a mix of pain and confusion.

"Gone? How did they…"

"Kim Possible." Shego cut her off. Bonnie gritted her teeth. "She was here?"

Shego nodded. "With the buffoon. They swept in, rescued them." Bonnie pounded the wall with her fist.

"Damn it!" Shego took Bonnie's arm and wrapped it around her neck to support her.

"We've got to get going. GJ will be here inside of half an hour." Shego told her.

"What about Kim and the others?" Bonnie protested.

"Later." Shego said. She pulled Bonnie along supporting her when she needed it. Everything had gone to hell in a matter of minutes. Now there was little time to respond to this unexpected turn of events. She would need to accelerate her plan and hope she could still pull it off. Though things hadn't gone the way she wanted her greater purposes were largely achieved. Alive or dead Betty was out of the picture leaving GJ vulnerable under the leadership of their acting director. However, they wouldn't be vulnerable for long. Shego had estimated it would take between 48 and 72 hours for GJ to find and close the security breaches left open by Betty's actions. That was their window. If they couldn't strike in that time everything would be for naught. Shego looked at Bonnie.

"How's that ankle?"

"I twisted it a little." Bonnie said. "But, it'll be fine I just need to rest it." Something gnawed at Shego inside. She couldn't identify it at first but when she looked at Bonnie limping along the word came to her. Guilt. She felt guilty. It had been a long time since she had experienced an attack of conscience. She didn't understand why she would be having one now. It wasn't her fault Bonnie got hurt. Or was it? She had not done the hurting but did that remove her from responsibility? She had always believed so in the past. She could not count the number of people who had been injured as a result of her permissive actions. She had never even allowed them a second thought. However, regardless of all that she still felt guilty now, over a twisted ankle of all things.

"I'm sorry." The words came unbidden from Shego's lips.

"It's not your fault." Bonnie said. Shego rolled her eyes. She wasn't seeking absolution for something she already knew wasn't her fault. She didn't know what she was seeking. Damn, she'd gotten soft. They made their way to their vehicle and Shego helped Bonnie in. As she climbed behind the wheel Bonnie turned to her.

"What do we do now?"

Shego pursed her lips. "I'm going to need you're help."

"I'll do anything." Bonnie said. Shego twisted the key and the engine came to life. She should have felt empowered by Bonnie's blind devotion. That was why she had done all this after all. To make a willing weapon she could use as she saw fit. Shego had achieved that perfectly but she didn't feel empowered… well she did a little. However, she also felt her stomach twist into a knot. She was haunted by the way Bonnie looked at her. If she had believed in God she was certain she would have felt damned to hell, as it was she just felt sick. She was still committed to seeing her plan through which meant using Bonnie. But, Bonnie was no longer simply a tool to be discarded when it was over. Shego tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She would need to decide what Bonnie was, and she needed to decide before she could finish her plan. Her plan to destroy Global Justice.

* * *

Kim

They were still waiting to hear word from the doctors on Dr. Director's status. Kim knew she had lost a lot of blood and her left arm was a blackened mangled mess. Yori had been treated for some minor injuries and sat with Ron on the other side of the room. Kim sat with Monique on a small sofa. Monique laid back against her while Kim ran her fingers through Monique's hair. She told her about finding the apartment broken into. How they tried to track them down but couldn't find any clues as to where Bonnie and Shego had taken them. Then Wade had called. He had just found a file on his computer that wasn't his. Turned out Dr. Director used one of Wade's own back doors into GJ's systems to plant a file on his. The file contained a lot of information. Most pressing was the location of Bonnie and Shego's current hideout. However, there were also several pages of highly encrypted information. Wade hadn't been able to find the decryption key and said it would take weeks or even months for him to break. Which left the questions why Dr. Director sent this to her? What was she supposed to do with it? Why didn't she include the key so they could decrypt the files? Kim added them to the growing list of questions she wanted to ask Betty. Though that wouldn't happen for a long time… if ever. She didn't really believe Betty would die from the wounds she received but not hearing from the doctors was maddening.

"You alright?" Monique's voice brought Kim back to the waiting room.

"Yeah… just a lot on my mind, you know." Kim returned to stroking her girlfriend's hair.

"No I don't know." Monique's voice was colder then Kim expected. _Here it comes_ Kim thought. The conversation she had been dreading. Kim took a breath as Monique pulled away from her grasp and turned to face her.

"You've been playing your cloak and dagger games and leaving me out of it. So I don't know what's going on."

"I was trying to protect you." Kim replied.

"It didn't work." Monique said flatly. Kim winced. Monique was right. She had been running around trying to shield Monique from the specifics of what was happening and yet when she needed her most she had been absent. She had not been there when Bonnie and Shego attacked. She had allowed Monique and Yori to be abducted and if it wasn't for Betty's intel her rescue would have been too late. None of these facts were in dispute and there was little she could do but apologize, again.

"I'm sorry." Kim said dropping her head to her chest. "For not being totally honest with you, for running off with out warning and for not being there." Monique slipped two fingers under Kim's chin and raised her head until their eyes connected again.

"Don't beat yourself up over it." Gentleness worked its way back into Monique's voice.

"Too Late…" Kim admitted thinking of the berating she had given herself over the past several hours.

"Well stop… you're forgiven." In the grand scheme of things perhaps it wasn't much, one small pardon. But, to Kim it meant everything. The tightness in her chest lightened the butterflies in her stomach settled. Kim leaned forward and rested her forehead against Monique's.

"Thank you." Kim whispered.

"Don't shut me out. Whatever you're going through, I can take it. You're not alone." Monique whispered back. Kim was near tears now. She didn't cry often. After all she had an image to maintain. The unflappable Kim Possible. At the moment though, Kim didn't care. If there had been TV camera's present she still wouldn't have cared. She would have let them have their close-up on her tear glistened eyes before she drove them out of the hospital. Thankfully there were no cameras, no reporters. Back in their little corner no one took much notice of them at all.

"You know what?" Kim asked.

"What?"

"I think I love y…" The end of Kim's confession was lost in a sudden upheaval in the waiting room. Kim and Monique both turned in the direction of the commotion. Three men in suits made their way through the room. People stood and backed away created a clear path through the crowded room.

"Who are those guys?" Monique said.

"They're Global Justice agents." Kim gritted her teeth.

"What are they doing here?"

"They're probably here to place Dr. Director under arrest." Kim grimaced. Monique turned to her.

"But she tried to save us, she got hurt trying to save us." Monique said.

"And she broke a lot of protocols doing it." Kim bit back the anger she felt welling up inside her. She knew Lindsay would make this move, she just didn't expect it so soon. Betty wasn't even out of surgery.

"So she didn't do everything by the book, so what?" Monique looked back at the agents as they flashed their badges at the first nurse that crossed their path.

"So Lucas Lindsay GJs second in command is all about the book." Kim said.

"But Betty's still in charge right?"

Kim shook her head. "Not right now. She went black when she tried to rescue you and Lindsay assumed command as acting director."

Monique asked. "But, why would he go after his own boss?"

"For the bigger desk." Kim shrugged.

"You mean he wants her job?" Kim merely nodded to the question. The nurse had disappeared through the triage doors leaving the agents waiting. Kim wanted to go over and yell at them, to tell them to leave Betty alone. The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge that it wouldn't help. They were just agents following orders. Her real beef was with the one giving the orders, with Lindsay. As this thought passed through her mind the Kimmunicator beeped from its pocket.

"Go Wade." Kim answered but as the screen came into focus she saw it wasn't Wade. As if by some weird cosmic joke Kim found herself face to face with none other than Lucas Lindsay himself.

* * *

Bonnie

She had told Shego she needed to rest her ankle. It wasn't the first injury she had sustained on that particular ankle. Over the course of her cheerleading career she had sprained it twice and as a result it was already weaker then her other ankle. It wasn't a surprise that she had twisted it so badly trying to avoid the flash bang grenade. She had a routine for treating the ankle when it was injured. Keep it elevated. Ice pack on at ten-minute intervals the first day, hot the second. None of that had she gotten since they arrive at their new safe house. Shego called it a lair and said it once belonged to a Dr. Drakken. It had a science lab, kitchen, and four major bedrooms. Two were large filled with rows of tightly packed bunks. The other two were smaller and looked more like normal bedrooms. Shego had led her directly to one of them.

"This used to be my room a long time ago." Shego said. Even so the room still retained a few artifacts that clearly marked it as belonging to Shego. Most apparent was the use of green and black in the bedding colors. The fashion magazines stacked on the dresser and the full-length mirror standing next to the bed.

"You just left all this here?" Bonnie asked looking through the fashion magazines.

"Drakken often returned to his old lairs so I stopped trying to take everything each time we moved." Shego set her duffle bag on the bed and began to unload it.

"How long were you with this Drakken guy?" She had meant it as an innocent question but Shego spun toward her and said loudly.

"I wasn't with him… I worked for him and only when I felt like it." Unsure of what she said to trigger that landmine Bonnie decided to drop the matter shrugging as if the answer didn't matter. She had been flipping through one of the magazines and came across one of those lame personality quizzes. It had been partially filled out.

"So what do you do when you're crushing on someone?" Bonnie said. Shego stepped over to her and looked over her shoulder. Bonnie held up the quiz for her to see.

"You checked other… so what do you do?" Bonnie smiled.

"I had forgotten all about that stupid thing." Shego took the magazine and looked over the quiz.

Bonnie said. "You didn't answer my question."

Shego closed the magazine and tossed it aside.

"Honestly I don't really get crushes." Shego replied.

"Oh…" Bonnie didn't try to hide the pang of disappointment and let her gaze fall to the floor. Her efforts at being flirty seemingly failed. She had hoped to draw some kind of cute romantic gesture out of Shego.

"Bonnie…" Shego's voice dropped an octave taking on a husky quality. She looked back at Shego.

"When I fall for someone, I fall hard." Shego said just above a whisper. She placed her hands on Bonnie's hips and pulled her closer. Bonnie wet her lips and pushed a lock of stray hair behind her ear.

"…And what do you do when you're falling for someone?" The question hung in the air for a moment. Suddenly Shego lifted Bonnie off her feat and shoved her back onto the dresser sending stacks of magazines scattering to the floor. Bonnie tried to make a move forward but Shego grabbed both her wrists and pinned her arms against the wall over her head.

"Don't even think about using you're powers this time…" Shego scolded. "…Or I'll have to punish you."

Bonnie did think about it but decided against it. She wasn't sure what kind of punishment Shego would come up with and she didn't really want to find out… yet anyway. Instead Bonnie wrapped her legs around Shego's torso and pulled her tight. Though they were worn and exhausted the last fight had also energized them. The adrenaline, the anger the fighting all served as a powerful aphrodisiac.

"Thought you needed to rest that ankle." Shego said.

"Later…" Bonnie squeezed her tighter. Shego leaned in and kissed her. Bonnie closed her eyes and felt the world start to melt away when Shego broke off and pulled back. Bonnie opened her eyes confused.

"Bonnie, I need you're help with something." What was this? Why was she stopping to start in with this again? Bonnie blinked and tried to clear her mind of the euphoric fog that muddled her thoughts.

"You said that already and I told you I'd do anything."

"Beth… the Director of Global Justice found us back there. They know about us, how to find us." Bonnie still didn't get where this was going. Why Shego had ruined a perfectly good moment to talk. Shego picked up on her bewilderment.

"They'll never stop hunting us. We'll spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders unless…" Shego paused letting the end of the statement hang like a fishhook. Bonnie understood. She understood what Shego was saying why she brought it up in the middle of their foreplay. If they stayed together they would have no peace. Global Justice would never let them be. Unless… there were only two unlesses Bonnie could see. Either they split up and went in to hiding separately or… they took out the ones who were after them. Given the options Bonnie guess Shego was implying the later. If she had plans on leaving she would have already.

"Unless we do something to stop them." Bonnie said.

"That's right, we have to destroy Global Justice."

Bonnie pulled Shego toward her.

"I think we can do anything together." Bonnie said. Shego smiled and kissed her.

* * *

In the next chapter:

"The board is set, the pieces are moving." - _Gandalf the White_.

Maybe that's a lousy teaser, but I thought Gandalf said it best.


	12. Chapter 12

Kim

"What do you want?" Kim spat at Lindsay's digital image. The acting director didn't even blink, ignoring her hostility.

"Ms. Possible I realize you were just in my office a few hours ago, but I need to speak with you rather urgently." Lindsay said.

"Aren't we talking now?" Kim replied. Lindsay's smile twitched ever so slightly. It was the only indication that he was annoyed as his voice was still calm when he said. "Obviously I meant in person."

"I'm kind of busy right now." Kim shook her head.

"Ms. Possible if you look to the front of the waiting room you are sitting in you will see three agents from my office." Lindsay paused as Kim glanced up at the agents still waiting outside the triage doors.

"One of those agents is there to bring you in, by force if necessary." The agent in question turned to look in their direction. Kim stared into the screen.

"You can't use force on a civilian." Kim said.

"You have information that you chose not to share with me earlier today. Information crucial to an ongoing investigation into a matter of national security." Lindsay said.

"You've got to be kidding."

"You can come voluntarily or not it's your choice… but you are coming in." The screen winked out and she had to suppress the urge to throw the device into the wall.

"Are you really in trouble?" Monique's concerned voice cut through her irritation.

"I doubt it." Kim said. "He wants something… otherwise he would have just arrested me and not bothered with the phone call." Kim frowned. It was the second time someone was manipulating her to get what they wanted. The first a gangster and second the acting director of Global Justice. What irony Kim thought. It might have even been funny if it were happening to someone else.

By that point Ron and Yori had joined them in the corner.

"What's up?" Ron asked.

"You can say I told you so." Kim sighed. Ron raised an eyebrow at her and waited for more.

"That Lindsay guy wants to see Kim… he threatened to arrest her if she didn't agree to meet him." Monique answered for her.

"We were just there and he barely spoke to us." Ron fumed. Kim raised her hands and shrugged.

"I'm sorry." She said to Monique.

"I know… it's okay." Monique touched Kim's cheek. "Just come back to me." Kim took Monique's hand in her own and nodded. She didn't want to leave and thankfully Monique understood that. Though she added this to the ever-growing number of things she owed to her girlfriend. She had a lot to make up for although that could be fun too. Kim gave her a kiss on her cheek and started toward the agent that waited for her. Ron was walking right beside her. Keeping in step with her.

"You want me to come too?"

"No, stay with the women." Kim told him.

"You might need help." Ron tried to protest. Kim stopped and turned toward him.

"I can take care of myself…" Kim dropped her voice. "I don't want to leave them alone again." She didn't come right out and say it but she was still worried for Monique's safety. Bonnie and Shego had gotten to them once and there was nothing to guarantee they wouldn't try again. It was happening again… enemies using someone she loved against her. She hated it and would do anything to prevent it. Thankfully Ron understood what she was saying and nodded.

"Alright I'll keep them safe. Just make sure you check in and let us know what's happening."

"I'll do my best." They parted ways there. Ron returned to the corner with Yori and Monique. She watched the way Yori moved toward him. Ron slipped his arm around her the way he used to do to her. He let Yori lean her head against his shoulder like she used to do. Kim turned her back to them and walked up to the agent who had been watching her.

Kim flashed her fake smile and said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

"Shall we?"

The agent led her out of the ED and to a car. While she sat in the back seat she thought of the way Ron and Yori were acting in the waiting room. For a moment she thought she might actually be feeling jealous, though that made no sense. She had let go of her relationship with Ron a long time ago and she was truly happy with Monique. So why was she thinking about it so much. Why was her mind pulled into the past when she and Ron were still together? She decided it wasn't Ron who she was coveting at the moment, but the life she once had. The life she thought nothing of until it ended in the same fiery inferno that had consumed the Rockwaller's house. She thought she had made peace with that too, but so far she hadn't adjusted to this new life. Things kept getting worse and she wondered what the landscape would look like when it was finally over.

* * *

Kenneth Fletcher

When he was honest with him self Kenneth Fletcher admitted that he hated his job. In his youth he had many dreams and aspirations. None of which had been realized and he feared he was running out of time. When he first started working for Big Daddy Brotherson he was enticed with all sorts of success stories and promises of quick succession through the ranks. All he had to do was be a hard, honest worker and keep his head down. Kenneth had done just that and had been doing it for nearly 10 years. However, he had not experienced a meteoric rise in the organization. Sure he had moved up in the ranks. His pay was good and most days past rather quietly, but after a decade of dedicated service he expected to be more than a security guard. He tried not to think about it, to be content with what he had. That wasn't possible at the moment. Just a few hours ago a little girl, a teenager, had managed to get the better of him. She had gotten his gun and pointed it right at him. If she had gotten the itch she could have shot him dead. He was still walking with a bit of a limp and was still pissed off. Was he really slipping that bad? Was that why he was still working security? Maybe he was just one big screw-up. Maybe his life was destined for the crap heap after all. Kenneth swore to himself and took out a cigarette. He flipped open his Zippo and lit it. Technically they weren't supposed to smoke while on duty but he didn't care. He needed to calm down and besides his route took him around the far end of the compound near the power transformer. No one would see him light up out there. Kenneth blew a column of smoke into the air already feeling the nicotine work it's magic fingers on his nerves. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and went back to his route. It was nice in the night air, the crickets and cicadas chirping back and forth. To distract himself from his self-depreciation Kenneth shifted his thoughts to Meredith, the short hottie who kept coming on to him at Brotherson's Seattle club. Kenneth had been keeping his distance amid rumors about the girl, though she claimed they were all lies spread by a jealous ex. She had taken a liking to him recently and Kenneth decided he might just give in the next time she invited him home. Kenneth stopped walking. He turned toward the woods that flanked the rear of Brotherson's complex. He hadn't noticed right away he was so caught up in his thoughts. It was quiet… the crickets and cicadas no longer chirped. It was dead silent. Kenneth placed the cigarette between his lips and held it there while he reached for the radio on his belt. A blur of motion caught his eye. He turned to follow it but saw nothing. He took a step toward the woods, pulled the cigarette from his lips and let the smoke curl out between them. He scanned the trees again feeling his muscles tense and the hair on the back of his neck rise. He was about to chalk it up to some woodland creature when he saw a faint greenish glow spilling around a tree three or four meters into the woods. Kenneth was reaching for his radio again when the attack came. Not from the front but from behind. It was swift, sudden and Kenneth never felt it…

* * *

Kim

She sat alone in a "conference" room at GJ headquarters. At least they had told her it was a conference room it looked more like a holding room. A place where persons of interest were interviewed or interrogated depending on how politically correct you wanted to be. The room was approximately three meters by three meters. A rectangular table sat in the center of the room with a chair on either side. A two-way mirror dominated one wall. Kim stared at her own reflection imagining she was staring down Lindsay. She was confident he stood in the darkened room on the other side of the glass. The single door to her left opened and a woman entered closing the door behind her. Kim looked her over as she approached the table. Kim guessed she was in her late twenties. She had dark black hair, which was pulled up into a bun kept in place by twin chopstick looking hairpins. She wore a navy blue dress blouse and black skirt that ended ever so slightly above her knees. She also had on a pair of black-rimed glasses. Her earrings were gold each ending in a Chinese character. The character for death hung from her left ear. The character for life hung from her right. The woman didn't look particularly of Chinese descent and when she spoke she had a British accent.

"Ms. Possible, my name is Cora Rose Morgan." She set a file on the table and sat across from Kim.

"I thought I was here to talk to the acting director." Kim folded her arms in front of her.

"You will, but we have some business to take care of first." Cora opened the file and glanced down at it. Kim rolled her eyes and leaned forward placing her hands on the table.

"Can you just tell me what this is about?"

Cora pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose looking back up at her.

"There are some questions we need to have answered before we can proceed with any formal arrangement." Cora said. Her tone of voice and posture contained a youthful exuberance of someone fresh out of school. However, underneath her enthusiasm Kim detected Cora carried a lot of scars, vestiges of a woman who was older then her years would indicate.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about." Kim said. Cora looked over her notes for a moment or two. Her posture became more ridged. _Down to business_ Kim thought.

"You know this girl, Bonnie Rockwaller?" Cora asked though they had to know the answer already. Perhaps it was just a starter, like the control questions they asked at the start of a polygraph.

"I used to know her." Kim replied. Cora jotted something down on a piece of paper.

"You attended school together?"

"Yes… and we were both on the high school cheerleading squad." Kim didn't want to give more information then they asked for, but she was pretty sure they would have come around to asking. She wanted to head off any more needless questions. Cora took down more notes.

"How well do you know Bonnie?" Cora said. Kim didn't like the direction this was going in and now understood why they had her in a holding room. They knew Bonnie was working with Shego. That would mean treating her as a partner instead of a victim, though Kim believed she was both.

"We fought over everything." Kim said feeling even less corporative then she had before.

"Can you elaborate?"

"Grades, talent competitions, the cheer squad…" Kim almost added Ron to the list but stopped short and instead chose. "Guys."

"Does that mean you didn't know her well?" Cora looked at her over the rim of her glasses.

"We saw each other as rivals it wasn't exactly fertile ground for a friendship." Kim said.

"I understand." Cora nodded, then added. "But, you haven't answered the question." It was true Kim admitted, she hadn't. However, Kim had been conducting her own test even while Cora performed hers. Now Kim knew more about her interviewer. Cora was focused, perceptive, and intelligent. She likely had training in psychology and profiling, which would make it very difficult to dance around her. Kim could try to be evasive or lie but she wouldn't get away with it.

"Yes I knew her but not well." Kim said.

"Do you know why she has taken up with Shego?"

"No."

"Have you had any contact with her since the bombing of her house?"

"No."

This went on for the better part of an hour. Cora asked her more questions about Bonnie, about Shego, and then she dropped the bombshell.

"Why did you meet with Big Daddy Brotherson yesterday afternoon?" Cora asked. For a moment Kim was hung up by the use of yesterday. She glanced at her watch and sure enough it was past midnight and Kim realized that soon she would have been up for 24 hours.

"Ms. Possible?" Cora prodded.

"I don't see how that's relevant." Kim said.

"What did he tell you?" Cora proceeded unfazed. Kim was tired of answering so many questions while receiving no response to her own. She jumped from her seat and leaned over the table. Her face was mere inches from Cora's who, to her credit, didn't react.

"No more." Kim said. "I'm not answering another question until I talk to the acting director." Cora held Kim's gaze, her features expressionless. Then she pursed her lips and set her pen on the pad full of scribbled notes. Quietly Cora folded her hands.

"Ms. Possible…" She began but before she could continue the door opened. Kim didn't look to see who it was but kept her attention on Cora. The older woman broke eye contact to look toward the open door.

"You're excused agent Morgan." It was Lindsay's voice.

"Sir?" Cora's mask faltered and Kim read surprise and anger in her eyes.

"You're excused." Lindsay repeated. The mask went back up as Cora collected her things, stood and left the room. Lindsay stepped into the room followed by a male agent. Lindsay came around the table and stood across from Kim. The other agent came to a rest in the corner behind Lindsay.

"Please have a seat." Lindsay said as he pulled the chair away from the table. He unbuttoned his sports jacket and sat down. Kim retreated to her chair folding her arms across her chest.

"I understand that you're frustrated…" Lindsay began.

"Do you?" Kim retorted.

"Yes… but you must understand we're dealing with a very delicate situation here." Lindsay played with a ring on his right hand. Rotating it around his finger.

"You're talking about Betty Shepard."

"No." Lindsay shook his head. "That's not even on the forefront anymore." Kim narrowed her gaze. As far as she could tell he was telling the truth. She wondered if Lindsay would have the guts to try to lie to her face. Regardless something was wrong here. Something had happened she wasn't aware of.

"Then what's the situation?" Kim asked doubting she would get a response but she did.

"I will tell you under one condition." Lindsay paused and when she didn't object he continued. "I need you to finish your interview with agent Morgan. However trivial her questions might seem your answers could be invaluable to us. I can see threats are no longer going to work so I hoped mutual cooperation might." Kim mulled this over. She didn't like being in the dark, being the one at a disadvantage. If Lindsay were really willing to work together she would be willing to suffer through the rest of Cora's questions.

"Alright, I'll cooperate." Kim answered. Lindsay sat forward in his chair casting his face in shadow.

"About three hours ago we received intelligence of disturbances at a stronghold belonging to Big Daddy Brotherson." Lindsay said. Kim felt the words strike her. Felt her breath hitch in her throat.

"What…" Kim swallowed. "What kind of disturbance?"

"We dispatched some agents to investigate. By the time they arrived the action was over. They found the stronghold destroyed and a lot of bodies… including Brotherson's." Kim clutched the table for support as the room spun around her. She had just spoken with the man a few hours ago. Warned him to be careful. With some effort Kim found her voice to ask.

"Brotherson's dead?"

"Quite dead… agent Morgan will elaborate in the interview."

"Was it Shego?"

Lindsay said. "We believe so but we're still gathering intelligence." Kim tucked her head to her chest. She couldn't believe this. How could so much go wrong so fast. What was Shego after? That was the question above all others. Until they could figure out what Shego was up to she would continue to be unpredictable and dangerous. Kim regained some amount of composer and sat up straight again.

"You can send agent Morgan back in." Kim's found her voice was not as strong as it had been. Her mind was still reeling unable to process it all.

"Thank you Ms. Possible…" Lindsay stood and refastened the buttons on his jacket.

"Please don't call me that. Just… call me Kim."

"Very well Kim. Thank you for your cooperation." The other agent fell in line behind Lindsay and both men left the room. When the door clicked shut Kim had the distinct impression of being trapped. Not by the holding room exactly. The room was just a visual metaphor for something she felt deep down, the feeling that she was trapped by circumstances far beyond her ability to cope or influence. Perhaps circumstances too great for her to survive. One thing brought her back to some kind of functioning rational state.

"What do you want Shego…" Kim whispered. "What the hell are you up to?"

* * *

Ron

"Will Kim-san be alright?" Yori asked him.

"I'm sure she will be." Ron said. Though he wasn't exactly sure. He knew enough about Kim and Lindsay to know their personalities didn't mix well. That is unless your intent was to make a volatile mixture that could blow up in your face. If Kim were too combative Lindsay would be well within his rights to arrest her on any number of charges. Maybe that was even his plan. He never liked how much freedom Dr. Director gave Kim. Now was his chance to remove her from the equation, to keep her from causing him trouble. Ron hoped this wasn't the case. He hoped Lindsay was smart enough to realize he needed Kim and that he would work with her to stop whatever demented scheme Shego was acting out. Ron scanned the room again looking for Monique. She had left to visit the bathroom and to look for something to drink ten minutes ago.

"Is something wrong?" Yori asked. She must have sensed his tension and noticed how he kept scanning the room.

"Have you seen Monique?" Ron said.

Yori shook her head. "Not since she left for the washroom." Ron bit his lower lip.

"Would you mind checking for her in there? Make sure she's alright."

Yori said. "Wakarimashita." As she made her way toward the bathrooms Ron went to check the vending machines. Monique was not there, just a balding man frustratingly cramming a bill into a drink machine. The bill was spit back out at him and he cursed trying again to make the machine accept the crinkled bill. Ron ran a hand threw his hair and tried to ignore his quickening pulse. He had promised Kim he'd take care of Monique… He told himself to calm down that there was no sign that anything was wrong. Perhaps he was becoming as paranoid as Kim, but he didn't think that was the case. In training Yori had taught him to trust his instincts. If he felt there was something amiss then he should act as if it were so. Ron made for the bathrooms with a quickened pace. He rounded a corner and saw Yori coming toward him with Monique a step behind her. Ron's feeling of disease lightened but did not disappear completely.

"Everything thing alright?" He asked the women as they approached.

"Just some mechanical trouble." Monique said.

"I was able to help." Yori added. Ron looked down the hall past the girls. At the far end beyond the bathrooms there was an emergency exit. Ron glanced over his shoulder at the waiting room. He didn't want to take the women back into that room.

"Come on, we're leaving." Ron gently pushed Yori and Monique toward the emergency exit.

"Why, what's wrong?" Monique asked.

"I don't know exactly." Ron looked over is shoulder again. "Just, something doesn't feel right." Yori immediately stepped into a defensive position by Monique.

"I will lead the way." Yori said.

"What's going on here?" Monique look back and forth between Yori and Ron.

"It's a ninja thing, just stay between us and keep moving." Ron said gently.

Monique obeyed but said. "You'll have to explain that once we're out of here." Ron kept moving them toward the exit. He wasn't sure he could explain it. How did you explain a feeling? The only comfort he took in all this was how fast Yori had moved to support him. Which meant she felt it too or maybe she just trusted him that much. Either way Ron wanted to know what triggered this feeling, the nature of the threat that hunted them. He might need help to unravel this one… help from someone older and wiser then himself.

* * *

In the next chapter:

Ron seeks Master Sensei's wisdom while Kim continues to be questioned by agent Cora. All the while Shego and Bonnie prepare for the ultimate assault on GJ headquarters.


	13. Chapter 13

Monique

"Are you sure you're alright?" She was talking to Kim on her cell phone. Her girlfriend had told her she was helping GJ in their investigation into Shego and Bonnie. Monique couldn't help thinking there was more Kim wasn't telling her, but no matter what she tried Kim wouldn't say more. So, instead she had sought affirmation things were okay. Even if she were in a position where she couldn't give details Monique believed Kim wouldn't deceive her about her well-being.

"Everything's fine Monique." Kim's voice was soothing and just hearing it made her feel better.

"How much longer can you talk?"

"Not long their waiting on me."

"Do you know when you'll be home?" Monique asked feeling a knot in her chest at the prospect of having to hang up. She wanted to keep hearing Kim's voice, wanted to feel her arms around her and smell the scent of her shampoo. Monique smiled despite herself. It had actually happened she had become one of those lovesick saps that she used to role her eyes at in school. She never thought it would happen to her, but then again she never thought she would be lucky enough to have Kim Possible as her girlfriend.

"No, sorry…" Kim said. "Things are moving really slow here. Believe me if I could I'd be with you in an instant."

"I believe you." Monique cupped both hands around the phone and lowered her voice. "I miss you."

"I miss you too…" There was a commotion on Kim side of the phone. Someone was talking to her.

"I've got to go." Kim said.

"Alright, just call again soon. I love you."

"I love you too." With that the line went dead. Monique held the phone to hear ear another moment before she lowered it and placed it in her pocket. After they left the hospital they realized they could not go back to Monique's apartment since it was still a crime scene. Wade had managed to secure a safe house for them in Lowerton. Monique didn't care for it. The two-bedroom house was nice enough but she didn't like being in Lowerton. She had been in the small hallway kitchen when Kim called looking over the food supplies. She had found several different kinds of drinks in the refrigerator and grabbed three diet colas. As she emerged into the living space she saw Ron sitting cross-legged on the carpet. His arms rested on his legs palm up and both hands formed an O with his index finger and thumb. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and rhythmic. Monique joined Yori on the sofa and handed her one of the cans.

"What's he doing?" Monique said.

Yori whispered. "He is meditating, trying to contact Sensei." Monique looked back at Ron thinking he had changed a lot since she had last spent time with him. While Ron was still a little goofy and awkward there were times when he suddenly became someone else. Focused, determined, and wholly in control, as he had at the hospital when he made them all leave.

"You mean your Sensei in Japan?" Monique asked Yori.

"You think that strange? Speaking with someone so far away?" Yori inquired.

"Without a phone or radio or something, yeah I think it's strange." Monique popped her can open.

"It is not easy… but with the proper training it can be done." Yori said. Monique took a sip of her drink.

"Can you do it?"

"Hai." Yori replied.

"How does it work?"

"Gomen, I am… sorry." Yori bowed her head. "But, it is not a simple thing to… explain." Yori opened her own can of soda and took a sip.

"Okay… so, not to be rude but are you and Ron…?" Monique's voice trailed off as she saw the ninja girl's cheeks immediately flush.

"Are Ron-san and I what?" Yori stammered a bit trying to get the question out. Monique smiled. The girl was kind of cute when she was embarrassed.

"Never mind, you've already let it slip." Monique chuckled. Yori turned toward her distressed.

"I am missing a joke?" Monique shook her head feeling guilty about teasing her.

"No, there's no joke… I just think you really like him." Monique softened her voice. Yori stole a glance at Ron.

"I… ah…" Yori fumbled before simply saying. "Hai."

"Well here's to love…" Monique held out her soda can. Yori stared at her for a moment then held out her can as well. Monique smiled and clinked the cans together.

"You think he's made contact?" Monique nodded toward Ron. Yori carefully studied him. Then, smiling she turned back to Monique and said. "Hai."

* * *

Ron

He stood on the peak of Mt. Yamanouchi. A dense fog covered the ground. Ron cut a path through the fog making his way to the lake where he would find Sensei. Sure enough he found him hovering two feet above the water in the center of the pond. Though his eyes were closed he still bowed his head slightly and said.

"Ron Stoppable… welcome." Ron drew his arms to his sides and bowed low in return.

"Master Sensei I need your help." Sensei walked across the surface of the water and joined Ron on the bank.

"You do not need help Stoppable-kun. You already have everything you need." Sensei said. Ron didn't feel like he had what he needed. After all that was why he was here, because he did need help.

"You are anxious and fearful… these things cloud your mind and trouble your thoughts. Remember your training, calm your mind and the answer will come." Sensei placed a hand on Ron shoulder.

"Stoppable-kun, I see a shadow on the horizon…" Ron felt a chill run down his spine. Sensei didn't not speak prophecies often, when he did it usually meant something bad was coming. Ron had heard Sensei speak of this shadow before but, it was always a distant threat. The darkness that surrounded it also concealed it. Sensei said he did not know what form the threat would take. Only that it was an inescapable force that would either change or destroy everything on earth. However, now the shadow was on the horizon, it was coming. Ron could almost feel it, like a coiling mass of darkness slinking toward him. No shape or form only an all-consuming mass of nothingness. It scared him at a level he had never before experienced.

Ron felt Sensei's grip on his shoulder tighten. Ron winced at the reminder that despite the way he looked Sensei still possessed the strength of a young man.

"You will soon be needed here." Sensei said. Ron understood the meaning. Finish your business and come back. That was the arrangement Ron had agreed to in order to be trained. He just had not expected it to happen so soon. Ron took a step backward, placed his right fist against the open palm of his left hand and bowed.

"Hai Sensei." Ron said. The image of the mountain and Sensei faded to black. Ron relaxed his muscles and used one of the many techniques he had been taught to quiet his mind. It was a litany, a series of truth statements that Ron recited silently one by one. As the anxiety lessened he did feel his mind clear.

"_You already have everything you need."_ Sensei had said. Ron went back to the hospital waiting room. He saw all the people just as they had been frozen in a single moment in his memory. Ron walked among the people studying the room for anything out of place. Anything that elicited the feeling he had felt at the time. Only nothing did. He went to the snack alcove where he had searched for Monique. He saw the bald man trying to shove the bill into the vending machine. He had not thought anything of it at the time, because he was so consumed with finding Monique. Now free of those emotions something struck him about the scene before him. Ron walked closer to the man taking in every detail. It wasn't until he was almost on top of the man that Ron saw what it was. The bill in the man's hand, the one the vending machine refused to take. It was not a dollar bill at all. It was a euro. Ron recognized it from all the trips he and Kim had made to Europe. This was the missing piece and everything fell into place at once.

Ron opened his eyes and rose to his feet. Yori and Monique stood as well, looking to him expectantly. He ignored them and went to the window. Pulling aside the blinds he scanned the street out front. It was empty. If they were under surveillance it wasn't obvious. The fact that the man at the hospital had no US currency meant he was a new arrival. It was a rushed operation that had not allowed him time to convert his cash. Another possibility was that the operation was meant to be so short and fast that the man had not thought it necessary to have a lot of US currency on hand. Either way it was clear someone was after them.

"Ron, what's going on?" He heard Monique ask behind him. Ron turned to the expectant women.  
"There's some one after us or one of us." Ron explained. Monique and Yori looked at each other exchanging knowing expressions. He suspected they were both tired of feeling like this. After all they had been through to know that it wasn't over yet.

"We're going to need some back up…" Ron made his way to the telephone in the living area and dialed Wade's number. When he answered Ron didn't even bother to identify himself but got right to business.

"Wade, can you get me in touch with Global Justice?" Then to head off the inevitable question he added.

"We may have a problem here."

* * *

Kim

Special agent Cora Morgan was scribbling the last of her notes from their interview. Kim was grateful to be done with the lengthy Q and A session even if she had gotten some much desired information from it. According to Cora GJ believed Bonnie and Shego had demolished one of Brotherson's

most secure hideouts. In doing so they had effectively cut off the leadership for the entire syndicate. This sudden power vacuum made Global Justice extremely anxious. They wanted Kim to offer her opinion on what Shego's ultimate goal might be. Kim thought it odd since she didn't know anymore then they did but thinking about Shego and all the moves she had made to this point she offered her best guess.

"I think Shego's pulling a takeover of Brotherson's organization." Even as she said it she had to admit how ridiculous it sounded. She didn't expect it to be taken seriously, but Cora wrote it down in her notes. Even if she were right it posed another equally troubling question. What would Shego do with Brotherson's organization once she had taken over? No one had an answer for that… at least not yet.

Cora finished scribbling and set down her pen. She pulled a document from the file folder and passed it across the table. Across the top of the first page it said: Compact Agreement for Contract Employment. Kim looked up at Cora and raised an eyebrow.

"You're offering me a job?"

"You've had a long history of working with Global Justice, we just want to legitimize it by granting you a position as a freelance agent." Cora said folding her hands together. Kim looked back down at the paper before her. Legitimize it by putting her on a leach would be more accurate. If she were officially an agent she would be easier to manage and control. Kim realized she had misjudged Lindsay. She thought he would distance himself from her and any past relationship she might have had with Betty Shepard. However, now it was clear that Lindsay was not as foolish as Kim suspected. He would not discard what he thought he could use, as long as it was on his terms of course. She wasn't sure she wanted to sign the paper. She wasn't sure she wanted to be attached to GJ under Lindsay's leadership. Cora must have picked up on her hesitation because she spoke up again. "You don't have to decide right away. Take some time, read the agreement and decide if it's something you want to do."

Kim nodded and picked up the three-page document so she could start looking through it. The door to the room swung open so quickly it drew both her and Cora's attention. A uniformed GJ agent stood in the threshold breathing like he had just run a good distance, his eyes wide with alarm.

"They're asking for both of you in the OC ma'am!" The agent said brusquely.

"Did they say why?" Cora asked the young man.

"No ma'am, just said to bring you both up stairs." Cora looked at Kim and in an instant they exchanged thoughts without speaking. It was a rare occurrence that Kim had only experienced a couple times before and only with close friends. The fact that she and Cora could each snap to the same wavelength and communicate on it so quickly surprised the teen hero. She decided she like special agent Cora Rose Morgan.

The two women stood and followed the young agent to the Operational Command Center in the heart of GJ's headquarters. Though this wasn't Kim's first time there she never ceased to be amazed by the spectacle of it. A dozen agents worked various consoles overseeing hundreds of active protocols at any given moment. The shear scope was amazing. Kim followed Cora as she made her way to a man who wore the uniform of a senior agent.

"You in charge here Peterson?" Cora asked the man.

"Guilty as charged…" Peterson took a playful bow. "The old man was nice enough to hand me this mess before he bugged out."

"The acting director left the grounds?" Cora asked.

"About 20 minutes ago by loach." Peterson nodded.

"What the hell for?" Cora didn't seem happy about the situation and Kim had to admit she had a growing sense of disease as well.

"Seems ex-director Shepard has regained consciousness and he wanted to question her personally." Peterson said. Kim found her hands clenching into fists.

"Ex-director Shepard?" Kim repeated. Cora turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's just internal politics… don't let it get to you." Then turning back to Peterson Cora said.

"What did you want to see us about?" Peterson showed something to Cora on a tablet device.

"We've been getting intermittent contacts from our peripheral motion sensors. We can't tell if it's just a glitch or something more serious." Peterson explained.

"Sir, I'm getting another early warning alarm here." A female agent said from a nearby console. Peterson strolled over to her resting one arm on top of the seat back.

"Report." He said. The agent had blond hair pulled into a ponytail and wore set of headphone with an attached microphone.

"Something tripped the motion sensors in sector 23." As she spoke she brought up a map of the grounds. The area in the northeast corner of the map flashed with red concentric circles.

"Sector 23." Peterson muttered. "What's in that sector?"

"Sector 23 houses the main power substation." The blond replied. Peterson turned to look at Cora and Kim.

"Shall I dispatch security sir?" the agent asked. Peterson looked back at her. "Yes and see if you can get me a visual out there." The agent typed at her consol for several minutes before she shook her head.

"None of our security feeds are working… they're all static." Kim didn't need to hear any more she pulled out her Kimmunicator and called Wade.

"Hey Kim, still at GJ headquarters?" Wade greeted her.

"Yes, but listen I need you to get a hold of Ron for me. Tell him I may need his help after all." Kim said.

"That's weird, Ron asked me to get a hold of GJ about 15 minutes ago. I just haven't been able to reach anyone over there." Kim blinked. Why would Ron want Wade to ask for help from GJ?

"Did he say why?" Kim asked.

"Nope, just that there might be a problem."

Kim was about to speak again when she heard a loud pop that sounded like it came from outside the building. Kim and most of the people in the room looked upward as if the ceiling contained the answer.

"What was that?" Wade asked. Even as her reply was on her lips every light, every console and every screen in the room went out. There were stunned shrieks of shock and surprise at the sudden blackness. The only light that remained came from the screen of the Kimmunicator. "Wade, call Ron and hurry…" Kim looked up to see Cora draw close to her gun already drawn.

"We may not have a whole lot of time."

* * *

In the next chapter:

Kim, and the agents of Global Justice must defend against an all out assault as Shego and Bonnie lead an army of mob foot solders against the GJ headquarters.


	14. Chapter 14 pt 1

Author's Note:

Right off let me apologize for taking so long to post. No excuses. I had hoped to present the final battle as one large chapter, however I am afraid this has turned out to be impractical. So instead I've broken it up into two parts. Look for the conclusion and a hint at what's next in the coming weeks. As always feedback is appreciated so write a review, send a PM or you can now hit me up on Twitter bcoolpro.

* * *

Kim

Kim had turned off the Kimmunicator when emergency lights around the room clicked on. The room was bathed in a sickly yellow glow and shadows were cast at odd angles.

"Back up generators in the basement, they can supply emergency power for up to 72 hours." Cora told her. A select few technicians rebooted their computer stations in a specific order.

"What happens after that?" Kim asked. Cora looked at her with an expression somewhere between droll and grim. "You don't want to know." A deep rumble punctuated Cora's statement and a slight vibration swept under their feet. Cora spun around gripping her gun with both hands.

"And something tells me you won't have to find out."

Kim felt her uneasiness grow. "What was that?"

"An explosion, close. My guess is they've breached the building." As Cora spoke Peterson was barking orders. The technicians with active workstations were typing at their consoles each following carefully rehearsed directives. Other agents mustered together and left the room in groups of three or four. Kim watched all this mesmerized then, shook it off and turned to Cora.

"Breached the building… You mean they're inside?" The older woman nodded.

"What are we going to do?" Kim asked.

"We've got security procedures to follow. The techs are performing a wipe of our systems while security forces are sent to deal with the threat." Cora said.

Kim frowned. Cora had technically answered her question but Kim didn't feel as if she really understood what was happening any better. It was all happening so fast. Peterson beckoned to Cora and she left Kim to join him. As they talked Kim closed her eyes and ran through the facts as she saw them. Shego and Bonnie had taken over Brotherson's syndicate. They must have leveraged some of the mobs foot soldiers to make this assault. However, the mobsters would simply be pawns. They would cause havoc and flush out the security. The real threat was Shego and Bonnie who would surely be taking up the rear safely behind their puppets. They would only move once the way was cleared.

Cora gently took hold of her arm. Kim shook off her thoughts giving Cora her full attention.

"Come on… we need to get to the armory and gear up before they make it to this level." Cora said.

"Where are we going after that?" Kim asked.

Cora shrugged. "That's up to you… Peterson said I was supposed to follow your lead and cover your ass."

Kim looked down at the contract she still held in her hand.

"I haven't signed anything… how can you be assigned to me?" Kim shook her head.

"Everyone knows you've got the most experience with Shego and Bonnie… like it or not there are going to be a lot of people looking to you." Cora said. Kim's shoulders hunched forward as if a great weight had been placed on them. She felt a bit like Atlas… a world of responsibilities unceremoniously dumped atop her.

"So even if I don't sign this…" Kim held up the paper. "You know I never asked for all this responsibility."

Cora smiled at her. "I don't think many leaders do… not in the way you would think." Cora paused watching as agents buzzed around the room. The sound of muted gunfire thumped through the walls. GJ's agents must have started to engage the enemy. Cora looked back at her.

"The fact is, the first time you laced up your shoes and answered a call for help you accepted it… all of it." Kim thought back to that first time. She hadn't known what she was stepping into and once she had found out it didn't seem right not to help. But, after that she kept on helping people. Whenever there was a call she was there. She had chosen this life and the responsibilities that went with it.

"Thank you…" Kim said. She walked to the nearest console and signed her name to the contract. She still didn't like the idea of working for Lindsay, but Lindsay wasn't there. If she were going to put her life on the line, fighting along side these agents, then she wanted to be counted as one of them.

A large group of agents were in the armory putting on flack jackets and selecting weapons from gun racks mounted to the walls. Cora strapped on a vest and tried to encourage Kim to do the same.

"My greatest asset is my maneuverability… I can't move in those things." Kim refused for the third time.

"At least take a weapon then." Cora said.

Kim shook her head. "I told you, I don't kill." Cora let out a frustrated sigh and snagged a weapon off the wall. It looked at first like a regular handgun but up close Kim could see it was something else.

"This is a BZK E380 non-lethal hand-gun." Cora held it out to her. Kim took it noting that it felt heavier then a normal pistol.

"It shoots darts that deliver an electrical charge and renders the target unconscious." Cora took down a similar looking gun.

"This is the newer S390 version that uses focused micro-bursts of sound to achieve the same thing. But, it has a shorter range and can cause more damage." Cora said.

"More damage then getting hit with a dart and electrocuted?" Kim raised an eyebrow.

"That's mostly superficial damage… the S390 attacks your nervous system through your ears. It can rupture your eardrums and in the most severe cases cause a brain hemorrhage."

Kim's eyes widened. "I think I'll stick with this one."

Cora put the S390 back in its place.

"I prefer that one myself." She said while pulling her own gun from its holster. She ejected the magazine, inspected it and then slid it back in place. She pulled the slide back chambering a round and disengaged the safety.

"So… what's the plan?" The armory was now empty except for the two of them. Gunfire continuously thumped and reverberated through the walls and floor. Mostly coming in three round bursts the cadence and pitch revolved back and forth, occasionally overlapping like a strange duet. Kim wondered which side was winning.

"We need to find a way outside. I think it's were Shego and Bonnie will most likely be." Kim inspected her weapon. She found she had to flip one catch to ensure the darts were charged and a second to turn off the safety.

"It's also where the fighting will be heaviest." Cora told her.

"Is there some way we can get around them? Get outside without having to fight our way through?"

Cora thought a moment. "There's an emergency bunker with a secure exit to the transportation hub, but we'd need administrator level clearance."

"Do you think Peterson will grant us access?"

"One way to find out." Cora gestured toward the door. They made there way back to the OC where Peterson watched video feeds of the siege on a large plasma screen. The current images showed the battle going on outside. GJ forces were attempting to surround the enemy but Shego's men had their flank against the building. A large jagged hole had been blown in the wall into which foot soldiers disappeared. Also on screen were Shego and Bonnie. Bonnie wore a leotard similar to the ones they had used in cheerleading minus the skirt and in Shego's trademark green and black. Bonnie was lifting cars into the air and sending them flying at GJ agents. Shego hit the cars with a plasma bolt causing them to explode effectively turning them into missiles.

"Damn it where are my sniper teams? I wanted them in place on the roof ten minutes ago!" Peterson snapped. An agent piped up explaining the sniper team had been pinned down in a stairwell and wasn't making much progress. Cora strode up to Peterson who was swearing, Kim followed on her heals.

"Sir!" Cora said getting his attention.

"What are you two doing back here?" Peterson asked with more curiosity then irritation.

"We've got an idea to use the secure exit in the bunker to get outside the enemies perimeter." Cora said.

"And you need clearance." Peterson nodded. "Done… get moving, I'll make sure your way is opened."

Cora hesitated a moment and then said. "Yes sir!"

A single elevator led down to the bunker along with a flight of stairs. In the elevator going down Cora had fallen silent, almost stoic.

Kim said. "You seemed surprised Peterson agreed to this plan."

"Well, it isn't exactly according to protocol…"

"You mean he could get into trouble?"

"Worse, this is a crisis bunker reserved for high level emergencies. Once the elevator reaches the bunker it cannot be recalled until computers register an all clear." Cora said. Kim scoffed internally. Cora answered almost every question in an efficient and technical way. Unfortunately the more time Kim spent with Cora the more she became aware that she wasn't as well versed in the jargon as she thought. However, be that as it may, she thought she understood Cora this time.

She said. "So Peterson and the others are stuck up there."

"That's right…" Cora nodded. "He may have just sacrificed their lives to give us this chance."

The women fell silent with that thought weighing on both of them. The elevator slowed and came to a stop unsettling Kim's stomach. The doors slid apart revealing a large circular room. The center of the room contained three rows of computer consoles covered with plastic sheets. A large display loomed over the workstations. The left side was taken up with cubicles intended for use as office space. The right side contained a small area for food preparation and a row of bunks stacked three high. There was also a doorway leading to a unisex bathroom that contained showers and lockers. All in all, the bunker appeared to have space and provisions for a team of 12 people to work and live for days at a time.

"We can run the entire network from this room." Cora said surveying the space. Kim glanced around again and noticed something missing.

"Where's the entrance to the garage?" Kim asked. Cora led her around the room and over to the large screen that stood over the workstations. To one side of the screen was a security panel. Cora ran her badge through the card reader and entered a code into the keypad below it. The screen rumbled upward revealing a door behind it. Cora pushed it open and they exited into a concrete garage bay.

Three cars sat side by side. Two black sedans that looked like the kind government officials rode in and a military Humvee complete with a .50 caliber chain gun mounted on the roof. Cora pointed at the Humvee.

"Get in." She ordered. Kim obeyed climbing into the passengers seat. Cora slid behind the wheal. When she took a set of keys from the sun visor Kim raised an eyebrow.

"Really… you really use that old trick?" Kim smirked.

Cora shrugged. "Who's going to steal it?"

"Us…" Kim chuckled. Cora smiled, slid the key into the ignition and turned it. The machine roared to life.

In front of them a ramp led upward into darkness.

"You might want to belt in." Cora said pulling on her own belt and clicking it into place.

"Why?" Kim asked.

"First because I've never driven one of these before…" Cora put the Humvee into gear and slammed on the accelerator. The vehicle nearly jumped forward pressing Kim back into her seat. She fumbled for the shoulder strap.

"Second…" Cora said. "There's a security gate at the top of this ramp that I can't open." Kim found the strap and pulled it around her. She saw light peaking at the top of the ramp. Kim grasped the buckle and tried to secure it. She missed the receptacle. The light grew and brightened as they sped toward it. Kim tried the buckle again and missed. She looked down but had trouble seeing in the semi dark. Kim looked up and could make out the chain link of the gate. She looked back down and thought she could make out the receptacle. She tried one last time and felt the buckle click firmly in place. When she looked up again she barely had time to blink from the light before the Humvee smashed into the gate. The force of the armored vehicle wrenched the metal, twisting and pulling it. The sudden deceleration threw Kim forward and she felt the shoulder strap cut into her chest. The breath was pushed from her lungs and she wondered if she would have bruises later. The clasps holding the gate pulled apart and the gate flung open expelling them out of the tunnel.

Once Kim got her bearings she recognized they had emerged on the far end of the GJ compound by the helicopter landing pads. They could hear gunfire and explosions and Cora turned toward the sounds.

"Okay… maybe this is a bad time to be asking but do we actually have a plan once we find Shego and Bonnie?" Kim asked Cora.

"Yeah, we kick their asses." Cora replied. They rounded a corner and a scene of carnage rushed up to meet them. Dead agents littered the ground. Fires burned in patches of grass as well as destroyed vehicles. Bonnie and Shego stood in the midst of the slaughter. Men ringed them with assault rifles exchanging fire with GJ agents bunkered down inside the building.

"Think you can drive?" Cora asked her.

"Come again?" Kim looked over at her.

"Take the wheal… I'll get on the .50 up top." Cora unbuckled her seat belt.

"Um, I'm not sure that's going to work…" Kim said. Shego and Bonnie turned toward them, saw them coming.

"So much for the element of surprise…" Cora swore. Bonnie stretched out her hand toward them and then slowly raised it. The humvee lifted off the pavement and rose into the air.

"What the hell?" Cora gripped the steering wheal.

Their momentum carried them forward as they continued to ascend. Kim unbuckled her seat belt and reached for the latch.

"Cora… I think we better jump…" Kim said her eyes focused not on Bonnie but on Shego who was building a charge of green plasma in her hands.

"What?" Cora said. Shego pulled her arms back, the space between her hands a swirling green ball. Kim shoved her door open.

"Jump… now!" Kim shouted. Shego let the condensed ball of plasma fly toward them. Cora kicked her door open and the women bailed out of the vehicle. The plasma ball struck and the humvee exploded. Kim and Cora hit the ground, tucked and rolled away from the blast. The burning wreckage crashed to the ground between them cutting them off from one another. Kim had gotten to her hands and knees when she heard the sound of gunfire and bullets popped over her head. Kim tucked back in and rolled behind the burning wreckage that had been the humvee. Bullets tore into the vehicle as Cora rolled up beside her.

"Hey…" Kim smiled at her.

"You alright?" Cora asked through gritted teeth.

"Fine… you alright?" Kim replied.

"Think I tore something when I landed." She winched.

"How bad?"

"I can't support my own weight and I'm fighting the urge to pass out… other then that I'm great." Cora managed a pained smile. Kim felt helpless looking at her. Cora couldn't fight in this state and would quickly become easy prey if she left her. More bullets popped overhead and pinged off the humvee.

"You've got to find better cover then this." Cora said, her voice straining.

"What about you?"

"I'll cover you while you move." Cora took out her pistol. "I can do that much."

"I can't just leave you…" Kim protested.

"You can, you have to." Cora put a hand on Kim's shoulder. Kim shrugged it off and shook her head.

"Go… That's an order!" Cora yelled and gave her a shove. Technically since she signed the paper Kim was part of Global Justice. Cora was a superior and she was required to obey her direct orders or face disciplinary actions for insubordination. Though the ink on the contract was barely dry she was already contemplating just that. If she left Cora she would almost certainly be killed. Kim wasn't going to let that happen. She already had enough deaths on her conscience. Then Kim heard the sound of a plane over head. A shadow fell across her and Cora as something passed in front of the sun. Then, as if in slow motion, Ron landed on the roof of the humvee. The impact struck like a microburst of air that immediately put out the flaming vehicle. Kim looked up, saw him kneeling on one knee above her, his arms outstretched like a bird that just landed. Bullets whizzed through the air past his head.

"Ron." Kim heard his name and was vaguely aware that it was her voice that spoke it. Ron leapt off the humvee backward, flipped once and landed with them behind the vehicle.

"Sorry we're late." Ron said far too casually for the kind of entrance he just made.

"We?" Kim said.

"Yori landed on the roof… said she wanted to help the people inside." This brought an immediate question to Kim's mind. If Ron and Yori were here, who was with Monique? However, it wasn't the time to ask personal questions that would just distract them. Instead she saw an opportunity to obey Cora and save her life.

"Ron, she's injured, can you get her somewhere safe?"

"Kim…" Cora started to object, but Kim cut her off.

"You won't last long injured… please let us handle this." Cora's eyes narrowed and Kim once again felt as if she could read the older woman's thoughts. Cora was a fighter and didn't like to back down. Kim returned Cora's stare and just slightly shook her head. Cora sighed and held out her gun to Kim.

"You know I don't kill." Kim said.

"Just take it!" Cora thrust it at her again. Kim reluctantly took the weapon from her hand.

"Any last orders?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, don't die…" Cora smiled and then turned to Ron. "Alright boy wonder, get me out of here." Ron picked her up in his arms, threw a pellet at the ground and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

In the next chapter:

Kim and Ron face off against Shego and Bonnie but the final confrontation may not end the way any of them expected.


	15. Chapter 14 Pt 2

Kim

Kim pulled out the BZK from its holster and replaced it with Cora's gun. Kim hoped she wouldn't have to use it, but drew a kind of comfort knowing it was there. Kim peaked around the side of the Humvee long enough to spot three men advancing toward her. They kept their guns leveled at the vehicle. Kim got an idea and pulled Cora's gun out again.

She shouted at the approaching men. "Don't shoot, don't shoot… I surrender!" Kim tossed Cora's gun away from the humvee.

"Come out with your hands up." Kim heard one of them shout back. Kim held the BZK down and behind her and slowly stood up hoping they wouldn't shoot her anyway. The three men were 100 feet away. One stood a couple paces ahead of the other two. The two in the back had their weapons slightly lowered and seemed to be watching their sidelines, possibly expecting an ambush.

"I said hands… both of them, up, now!" The guy in front yelled at her. Kim nodded and brought the BZK up as fast as she could. The men reacted raising their rifles toward her. Kim squeezed the trigger three times and the metal barbs struck their targets. The electrical charge caused the men to spasm and convulse. The gun of one of the men in the rear went off firing erratically. Bullets whizzed past her and pinged off the humvee before a round clipped the guy in front spinning his body around and all three collapsed to the ground. Kim had to suppress the urge to run over and check on the man who was shot. She couldn't do anything for him and going out there would only make her an easy target. She told herself she didn't shoot him… it was just an accident. Ron appeared next to her with little more then a light breeze announcing his arrival.

"You okay?" Ron asked looking over at the unconscious men.

"Yeah, Cora alright?"

"She's safe for now… she's got a torn ligament or something." Ron reported.

Kim retrieved Cora's gun from the ground and tucked it in the back of her pants.

"So how do you want to play this?"

"We need to draw the last of those guys away so we can get to Bonnie and Shego." Ron said. With three men down there were four left. Kim ran through a number of options in her head but none of them ended well. Two against six were not odds she wanted to play.

"Any idea how we do that without getting shot or fried?"

"We call for back up…" Ron pulled the black glove off his right hand. He put his thumb in his mouth and bit down until a mark of red appeared.

"What are you doing?" Kim asked.

"Remember I said I'd tell you about what happened to Rufus…" Ron brought both hands together and made a series of signs with them. Then he placed his right hand on the ground, closed his eyes and said.

"Summoning Jitzu!" There was a flash of light and the ground erupted with a dense white smoke. The mini cloud quickly dissipated revealing a familiar hairless pink rodent. Rufus stood straight on his hind legs. He wore a red bandana around his head and a red belt went around his waist. Something like a stick was tucked into the belt on his right side.

Kim's eyes went wide. "Rufus?"

Rufus smiled and waved at her. "Hi." He squeaked. Ron held out his hand and Rufus hopped on to it.

"We need your help little buddy." Ron stood and pointed out toward the battle.

"Uh oh… Shego." Rufus said placing a hand on the stick in his belt.

"Hold on… we need you to draw off those four guys so Kim and I can go after Shego, understand?" Rufus stood erect and raised a paw to his head in a salute.

Rufus squeaked out. "Roger." He leapt from Ron's hand and headed toward the fight.

"Okay… officially lost and a little weirded out here." Kim said.

"It's kinda complicated…"

"What isn't these days." Kim sighed. Ron pointed to the group of men flanking Shego and Bonnie.

"Watch this." He said. Rufus appeared in a burst of smoke the stick like weapon in his claws. He swung it at the first guy's legs and the stick grew, stretching out to triple its previous length. The bow staff caught the guy just above his heels and knocked his feet out from under him. He fell flat onto his back. Rufus jumped at the second target striking him in the gut. He bent over and fell to one knee trying to take a breath. Still in mid air Rufus use the stick like a poll volt and sent himself flying into the third men, who had just turned to see what had fallen his comrades. Rufus kicked him in the chest knocking him backward. The fourth gunman turned his gun on the tiny attacker and fired. Rufus landed on the ground and twirled his weapon out in front of himself deflecting the bullets. When the gunman paused in a stunned stupor Rufus launched forward and swung the staff at the guy's head. It struck him at the temple and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. The other three had regained their footing and were all moving in to attack. The stick in Rufus's hand shrank back to its original size. He placed it in his mouth and dashed away.

"There he goes, after him!" One of the men said and all three chased after the naked mole rat. Kim thought of the old saying, seeing is believing. It wasn't always true. Right now she was having a lot of trouble believing her own eyes. Rufus had single handedly engaged four targets, downing one and drawing three others away.

"That was amazing!" Kim said, turned toward Ron but he was already sprinting toward Shego and Bonnie. Kim followed him sprinting in an attempt to catch him. She had always been the faster runner, but now try as she might she just couldn't close the gap between them. Ron veered toward Bonnie so Kim headed for Shego. Ron pulled up just a few feet from the women and Kim joined him.

The two groups stood side by side staring each other down. Shego and Bonnie shared a bemused smile as if this were all a game. Sounds of fighting came from inside the building, a reminder to Kim that people were dying and that this wasn't a game.

"You two finally done gabbing?" Bonnie asked with a hint of boredom in her voice.

"You were waiting for us?" Ron asked.

"Not exactly… doesn't matter anyway you're obviously ready to fight now." Bonnie shrugged.

"You really think you can get away with this?" Kim directed the question at Shego.

"Get away with what Princess?" Shego asked a little too innocently. Kim marveled at Shego's ability to seem sincere in almost any setting.

"I guess talking isn't going to get us anywhere is it?"

"Has it before?" Shego said. Kim wanted to say yes and cite times before when they had worked through conflict and even teamed up to defeat a common foe. However, the question was meant to be rhetorical. Shego didn't want an answer so Kim didn't give one. Even while there was fighting all over the GJ compound the real fight was right here. Whoever won this would win it all. It was a fight they couldn't afford to lose. Kim moved first launching herself at Shego with a kick aimed at her head. Shego dodged and struck a blow at Kim's back while she was still in the air. The impact sent her head over heals and she fell to the ground on her back. Shego was instantly on top of her pinning her to the ground.

"By the way…" Shego said. "How's Monique?"

* * *

Ron

Ron saw Kim fly toward Shego in his peripheral vision but kept his eyes focused on Bonnie. Yori had told him about her special powers and that was why he wanted to fight her. He stood a much better chance then Kim did. Ron summoned his mystical monkey powers and a blue glow shimmered off his skin. Bonnie stretched out her hand and Ron felt a pressure build against his chest. Ron brought his hands together in front of him and then spread them outward. The pressure moved off his chest. Bonnie stared at him, disbelief creeping into her eyes.

"How did you…?" Her voice failed. Now it was Ron's turn to smile, inwardly he was relieved. He believed the mystical monkey power would allow him to absorb and deflect Bonnie's telekinetic powers. It gave him an advantage but it wasn't a complete solution. It required a lot of concentration, which would be difficult to maintain while fighting. He was also certain there was a limit to how many attacks he could stop. Fighting Bonnie here in the physical realm was just too dangerous and so he had concocted a plan. Ron intended to use one of the techniques he learned in his training. He would pull Bonnie into a kind of psychic link and engage her within the realm of his mind. Of course this was not without serious risk either. Bonnie could resist or break out of the link. If he were killed his mind would destroy itself killing him in the real world as well. Still, Ron felt more confident taking on Bonnie in a world he controlled and besides he hoped he could end this without violence.

Ron closed his eyes, raised the index and middle fingers of his right hand bringing them to his face in front of his nose.

"Two minds become one. The bridge once forged will stand. What shall be shall be forever more." Ron opened his eyes locking them on Bonnie. Her whole body became erect and rigid. Her pupils dilated growing to the size of quarters. Ron knew he had her and closed his eyes again pulling her inside his mind.

* * *

Kim

Kim clenched her teeth. This was the second time Shego had pinned her and made an off hand remark about Monique. The last time she had spit in Shego's face, which allowed her to gain some room to maneuver and escape. However, it wouldn't work again. Shego wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. Kim didn't feel she had a lot of options so she decided that instead of resisting Shego she would try playing along. She relaxed under her aggressor and let a smile form on her lips.

"She's great." Kim sighed.

"I never thought you swung both ways."

Kim smiled. "There's a lot you don't know about me." Though Shego had her shoulders pinned she could still move her wrists and hands. Kim slowly worked the BZK free from its holster.

"Really?" Shego seemed equal parts intrigued and impressed. She didn't see what Kim was doing. The BZK came free and Kim angled it upward.

"Yep… really…" Kim said her finger snaking around the trigger. Shego blinked as if snapping out of a daydream, awakening to the fact that something wasn't right. Her eyes dropped and saw the pistol. Kim squeezed the trigger. Shego rolled off Kim and the dart just grazed her side. Shego came up from her roll on one knee her hands igniting. Kim sat taking aim and shot again. Shego dodged and let lose a plasma bolt in her direction. Kim lay flat again and the plasma zinged over her. She sprang backward rolling and coming up on her feet. Shego was on her almost instantly. Kim blocked a punch and kicked at her legs. Shego spun right capturing Kim's wrist and twisted her arm behind her pinning the BZK to her back. Shego's other arm wrapped around Kim's neck in a chokehold.

"You can't stop me… Even with your fancy toys." Shego breathed into her ear.

* * *

Ron

Ron had trained for this but didn't have much practice applying it in actual combat. He was supposed to bring his opponent into a mental battleground, where he controlled the rules and could strike with ruthless efficiency. It was a sound strategy that worked well in training. This was different however. Ron did not want to fight Bonnie. He wanted to talk to her. He decided instead to construct a maze to confine and confuse her. Ron stood atop the walls of the maze looking down at the narrow winding passages beneath him. Bonnie was trying to use her telekinetic powers to punch through the walls. But they weren't working… this was his world and he could control the physics here.

"Bonnie…" Ron called down to her. Her head snapped upward and she glared at him. When she spoke her voice was firm as she said each word slow and clearly.

"Ron, what the hell is going on here?" Her eyes were an odd mix of intensities. A fire blaze behind her eyes but at the same time there was emptiness there. It was the same look Shego so often had. Ron wondered what the older woman had done to turn Bonnie into a mirror image of herself.

"We're inside my mind." Ron told her. He expected Bonnie to question this. To say he was a liar or full of crap. Instead Bonnie took another look at her surroundings and nodded thoughtfully to her self.

"It doesn't change anything you know…" Bonnie said looking back at him again. "It just gives me one more reason to kill you."

"I didn't bring you here to fight." Ron shook his head. "There are things you should know." Ron waved his hand in an arc through the air. Next to Bonnie two figures materialized. When fully formed Big Daddy Brotherson and Kim stood facing each other.

"What is this?" Bonnie said scrutinizing the images. She tried to touch Kim but her hand past right through.

"It's a memory, one I want you to see…" The stagnate figures began to move and talk.

"I had nothing to do with that bombing. It was one of the jobs Lincoln took on his own." Big Daddy said

"Are you the one who tipped off GJ about the Rockwallers being in danger?" Kim asked.

Brotherson nodded. "It was all I could do."

Bonnie turned to Ron. "This is bullshit I know what happened, he killed my family…" Bonnie pointed at Brotherson. "And I killed him."

Brotherson's image shimmered and spoke. "I did not kill that family. It is most likely that whoever ordered the hit killed Lincoln also."

Bonnie stared at the ghostly image as if it were really Brotherson himself come back to haunt her.

"He was lying…" Bonnie protested.

"Our minds are linked. You have access to my memories… you know I'm telling the truth."

Bonnie said. "No, She had evidence…"

"Then prove it." Ron said. "What's the evidence Shego showed you?" Ron watched a shiver of doubt pass through Bonnie. Her eyes shifted back and forth as she searched her memory.

"She didn't show you anything did she?" Ron pressed. Bonnie held her hand over her ears. "Shut up, shut up shut up!"

* * *

Kim

Kim struggled against Shego's hold but couldn't break free. Shego tightened her chokehold making it difficult to breathe.

"Don't need to…" Kim choked out.

"What?" Shego loosened her hold just slightly.

"Don't need to beat you…" Kim struggled to take a breath. "Just distract you." Kim finished. Shego immediately turned her gaze toward Bonnie and Ron. She saw them standing motionless in a trance.

"What did he do?" Shego said. Kim took the distraction bringing her left heal up behind her, driving it into Shego's crotch. The blow stunned Shego long enough for Kim to slip from her hold. Kim spun around and brought the BZK up. Shego recovered quicker then Kim expected and swung a glowing fist knocking the weapon from her hands. The BZK bounced once and skidded to a halt right in front of Bonnie.

"What's the buffoon up to?" Shego asked as she and Kim circled one another.

"If you really think he's a buffoon then what are you worried about?" Kim shrugged.

"Princess, you know I don't worry."

"I also know you're a liar." Shego tilted her head back and laughed which caught Kim off guard.

"What's so funny?" Kim asked her eyes narrowing.

"You calling me a liar…" Shego chuckled again. "Let's face it pumpkin, between the two of us, I would be the honest one." Kim felt her temper flair and for a moment she thought about reaching for Cora's pistol.

"How do you figure that?"

"I've never lied about who and what I am." Shego smiled cruelly. In that moment Kim felt a door opened in her mind. A door long closed and locked tight. She had spent a lot of time trying to get to the other side of the door and the secret it guarded. Now the key had been found and the revelation was released. It was the thing that bothered her most about Shego, the reason she hated her. Shego believed that deep down Kim was just as bad as she was, maybe worse and when they were together Kim almost believed it too.

* * *

Bonnie

Bonnie felt her skull would crack under the stress of these two opposing realities colliding in her mind. In one reality Shego was her savior, her mentor, and lover. A world in which she had avenged the deaths of her family and might just have a shot at a happy ending with the woman she respected and had even grown to love. In the other reality Shego was an evil manipulative villain who was responsible for murdering her family, lying to build a false trust and turning her into a willing puppet. In this world she was a wretch and a fool. But, the question remained which was the truth? She couldn't believe Shego would so betray her. However, other then her carnal emotions she had no real evidence to prove it. Ron must have known her will was weakening because he continued to lay on the pressure.

"Haven't you wondered why? Why your family? Why you were spared?" Ron asked.

Brotherson and Kim's figures flickered and contorted until an image of Shego and Bonnie replaced it.

"I didn't save you by accident." The image of Shego recited.

"You chose me." Bonnie's replica said.

"Yes." Shego replied.

"You're twisting things." Bonnie spat at him.

"You really think I have special powers?" Bonnie's mirage spoke from her memory.

"I do." Shego nodded. "And, if you'll trust me I want to show you how to use them."

"How did Shego know you had powers, how did she know about the bomb?" The questions kept coming pounding her like a relentless tide, wave after wave washing over her head drowning her in doubt. Of course she had asked those questions… more then once. Shego had given a few vague answers enough to pacify her and redirect her attention. If she were honest with herself she would have to admit those questions still lurked unsatisfied. Bonnie's knees were suddenly unsteady and she felt like the ground were rolling under her. She sank to the ground feeling she might be sick.

"Why are you doing this?" She said. Ron stepped off the ledge where he had been perched and drifted to the ground. He knelt next to her.

"Because I'm seeking the truth…" he paused. "Don't you want to know the truth?" Honestly all she felt was numb but she weakly nodded her head. She had to know… to know Shego was telling the truth. She needed to know she had put her faith in the right person and made the right choices. She felt Ron place a hand on her back and she looked up at him.

"Then ask her…" Ron whispered. White light emanated from Ron and enveloped her. It was so bright she had to close her eyes. When she opened them again she found herself back on the battlefield facing Ron. He nodded at her. Bonnie looked down and saw the gun at her feet. It didn't look like a regular weapon. Bonnie picked it up and turned it on Shego.

"Shego!" Bonnie yelled. The older woman turned toward her and froze.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?"

"I have some questions…" Bonnie's hands shook as she fought back tears. "I need you to tell me the truth!"

* * *

Kim

Her first instinct was to act. Use this moment while Shego and Bonnie talked to take her down. She was about to move when Ron appeared next to her and held her back.

"Let them sort this out." Ron told her.

"This might be our only chance, while they're distracted." Kim argued.

"Trust me." Ron replied. Kim turned back to the two women facing off against each other.

"What are you talking about?" Shego was saying.

"I told you I've got questions." Bonnie repeated.

"And they can't wait?" Shego was getting annoyed.

"No, damn it, they can't." Bonnie took a step toward Shego.

"Then ask." Shego's voice had gone cold but with a bite of anger.

"What was the evidence that led you to Brotherson?" Bonnie asked. Shego seemed unprepared for the question. Brotherson was dead, case closed. She didn't seem to anticipate it would become an issue again.

"Lincoln was one of Brotherson's men." Shego said as if it should have been obvious.

"Ron says they can prove Lincoln was working on the side. That the contract on my family didn't come from Brotherson." Bonnie countered.

"Who are you going to believe?" Shego purred out the question a bit of warmth creeping back in, but obviously meant to persuade.

"I'll believe the truth." Bonnie took another step toward Shego. Kim's gaze switched back and forth between the two women. The intensity between them continued to grow. It was more then a dispute between pupil and mentor. Kim saw annoyance, anger in Shego's features. But, there was something else there too. If Kim didn't know better she would have thought Shego looked hurt by Bonnie's sudden turn.

"You don't want to know the truth." Shego finally said.

More tears welled in Bonnie's eyes and her body shook.

"No one wants the truth really… they all just believe what they want to be true."

A sarcastic grin appeared on Bonnie's lips.

"You're right and that's how you tricked me."

"Bonnie…" Shego's voice was soft almost pleading.

"It was all a lie wasn't it?" Bonnie was becoming manic. Her complexion cycled between anger, humor and despair.

"Not everything…" Shego said with only a wisp of emotion. They stood there focused on each other to the exclusion of all else. The sounds of gunfire had lessened. The fighting between GJ and the mob gunmen was winding down. But, the conflict between Shego and Bonnie would decide the victor of the battle. After a long silence Shego spoke.

"Bonnie…"

_Thunk!_

Shego froze and the muted cough of the BZK reached Kim's ears. Shego looked down and saw the barb sticking out of her chest. She reached for it but a burst of electricity surged through her body sending it into convulsions. Then Shego slummed to the ground. Bonnie lowered the BZK and it fell from her hands. Her legs gave out and she sank to the ground, her body heaving with tears. Kim went to Shego's motionless body and pressed two fingers to her jugular vain. A steady pulse thudded against her fingertips. Kim sighed and looked over at Bonnie. Ron had retrieved the BZK and knelt next to the wrecked girl. Kim wasn't sure what Ron did to turn Bonnie against Shego but whatever it was she was thankful. With Shego and Bonnie down GJ would have an easier time with the last of their men. It should have felt like a victory but something nagged at Kim's insides and she couldn't help but feel that it wasn't over yet.

* * *

In the next and last chapter:

Kim and Ron must deal with the aftermath of the attack. Bonnie must deal with her feelings of betrayal. Kim is right it isn't over yet.

Author's Note:

The next chapter is indeed the final chapter of What Lies Within… book one. I have already begun work on the next installment of the WLW Series. So, if you have enjoyed this story there will be more soon. However, if you do not wish to continue the story then I humbly suggest you skip the epilog chapter.


	16. Epilog

Kim

Kim had not let Bonnie out of her sight once the fighting had ended. Shego was in custody waiting to be transferred to a local detention center. Kim had prevented the same thing from happening to Bonnie. She knew Bonnie had murdered Lincoln, Big Daddy Brotherson and was complicit in an attack on a federal building. However, Kim had made the case that Bonnie had been coerced and manipulated. Bonnie was a victim too. The acting director had not proceeded with laying charges, but he had ordered a full psychiatric evaluation. Kim didn't trust Lindsay and so she had made a point of staying close to Bonnie. At the moment they were inside one of a dozen tents set up within the GJ compound. The various tents served as a staging area for repairs and offered medical help for the wounded.

The doctor assigned to do Bonnie's psych evaluation had arrived and wanted to get started. He would not allow Kim to stay with her for fear of what he called "outside influence." Kim placed a hand on Bonnie's shoulder.

"You're sure you'll be alright?" Kim asked.

"I'll be fine." Bonnie said again. She had been trying to assure everyone that she was okay, but none of them believed it. The Kimmunicator beeped from Kim's pocket. Wade was calling.

"Let me know as soon as you're done." Kim told the doctor who merely nodded in reply. She turned aside and answered Wade's call.

"What's the sitch?"

"I'm still working my way through the encrypted files Dr. Director…" Wade paused catching his mistake. "Uh… Betty left on my system."

"Have you found anything?" Kim asked.

"Nothing much, except that some of them look like transcripts from a surveillance operation."

Kim frowned. "Who's the subject under surveillance?"

"Don't know yet, but I'll let you know when I find out more." Wade replied.

"Is that why you called?"

"Oh, no, I was wondering if you were ready for a ride home." Wade said. Kim glanced up at Bonnie. The doctor was asking her questions and recording the answers on a tablet computer. A GJ agent came around the tent and walked up to Kim.

"Ma'am the Director wants to speak with you."

"The director's here?" Two things surprised Kim. First that Lindsay was back on site and second that the agent had called him simply the director instead of acting director. Did that mean the board had already voted to replace Betty or was it merely a slip?

"You mean acting Director Lindsay?" Kim asked. The junior agent nodded. "Ah, yes ma'am… the acting director of course." Kim turned back to Wade on the Kimmunicator.

"Hold the ride Wade we've got some more work to do here." Kim told him.

"Just let me know when you're ready." The screen went dark. Kim looked at Bonnie again as her psych evaluation continued. Kim wanted to go talk to Bonnie for a moment, to tell her where she was going and assure her again that everything would be alright. But, was she just being silly?

"Ma'am, the dir… acting director is waiting." The GJ agent said. Kim decided against interrupting the doctor evaluating Bonnie. She didn't want to cause her more trouble.

Kim turned and followed the GJ agent. She didn't particularly like being summoned like this. It made her feel as if she were a pet on a leach. As they passed the field of medical tents Kim spotted agent Cora laid out on a gurney. Her left leg was wrapped in gauze and elevated. Kim tapped the agent ahead of her on the shoulder.

"Hold on a second." Kim dashed away before the agent could protest. Cora saw her coming and waved.

"Good to see you're alright." Cora said.

"How bad were you hurt?" Kim asked.

"Torn ACL…" Cora grimaced. "Doc says I'll need surgery and will be out of commission for at least nine months."

Kim winced. "Are you in pain?" Cora laughed and shook her head.

"No, They've got me pretty doped up right now." Kim allowed a small smile to show through her guilt-laden expression. Kim pulled Cora's gun from the hem of her pants and held it out to its owner.

"Thanks for this…" Kim said. "Even if I didn't use it."

Cora stared at the gun, reached for it, but placed her hand over Kim's.

"Keep it."

"But, it's yours." Kim said.

"I'm going to be out of commission for a while and I want you to hold on to it for me." Cora's eyes locked on to Kim's captivating her.

"Won't you get into trouble?"

Cora shrugged. "I won't tell Lindsay if you don't.

Kim's smile returned broader and warmer.

"Alright, I'll hold on to it for now… but I will give it back once you're on your feet again." Kim said. Cora nodded and let her hand slip from Kim's.

"The probie behind you is getting restless." Cora gestured to the agent. Kim turned to see her pacing back and forth checking her watch.

"She's supposed to be escorting me to see Lindsay." Kim admitted.

"What'd you do to get sent to the principles office?"

"I have no idea." Kim raised her hands.

"Well guess you better get going then."

"Yeah."

"Don't be a stranger okay?" Cora smiled.

"I won't." Kim turned and walked back toward the fidgety agent.

"Ma'am we really need to get moving." The agent told her. Kim fell in line behind her and followed her to the far side of the facility to the helipad.

A HO-6 Cayuse helicopter sat on the tarmac spinning its blades in preparation for a take off. She walked toward the interim Director who, at the moment, was flanked by half a dozen field agents in the grass a hundred feet from the tarmac. Lindsay was signing paperwork and giving commands before apparently leaving again. Kim tried to hide her annoyance. How much arrogance did it take to send for someone only to make them wait on you? Lindsay finished with the other agents and they dispersed to their various tasks. He beckoned to her, which irked her more… he really must see her as a pet. Kim obediently approached Lindsay keeping her fake smile plastered on.

"You wanted to talk?" Kim said.

"They're getting ready to move Shego." He said over the loud whir of the helicopter blades. "I want you to accompany the transport team." Kim looked at him thinking he couldn't possibly be serious, but he was. The old clique about government agents lacking a sense of humor held true in this case.

"I can't." Kim protested. "I promised Bonnie I would get her home."

The acting Director waved his hand dismissively.

"We've got other people who can take care of that. You're the expert on Shego and I want you there in case she tries anything." It made sense. It might even be the right call but Kim had given her word and she wasn't about to break it. Kim opened her mouth to deliver another rebuttal when an explosion of fire and green plasma erupted from the direction of the motor pool. Kim and Lindsay looked at one another sharing the same look between them when a second explosion came.

Kim and Lindsay joined a group of agents that raced toward the motor pool. The scene there was utter chaos. Two transports had been blown apart and continued to burn. Several agents lay wounded or dead on the ground.

"What the hell happened?" Lindsay called at an agent that darted past.

"Shego's escaped." The agent said.

"And how did that happen?" Lindsay shouted.

"The other girl the one we caught with Shego…"

"Bonnie?" Kim interrupted him.

"Yes Ma'am, she helped Shego get free and they escaped in one of our transports."

"They, you mean Bonnie went with her?" Kim asked.

"Yes Ma'am." The agent replied.

Lindsay spun toward Kim. "What the hell Possible?"

"You think this is my fault?" Kim objected

"You said the Rockwaller girl wasn't a threat and even convinced me not to arrest her." Lindsay was yelling in her face. Kim wanted to punch him, to smash his teeth into his smug face, but she resisted.

"I just left her in the triage tent with one of your men!" Kim shouted back. Lindsay took a step toward her. He was taller then she was and could become an imposing figure when he wanted to be.

"Stay here." Lindsay pointed to the ground between their feet. "I will send an agent to take a full statement and debrief you. If you depart the grounds before you have been given leave I will arrest you for conspiracy." He turned and strode away before Kim could mount a protest.

* * *

After several hours of taking statements a final report was filed with the Director's office. In it, the doctors that examined Bonnie at the site had issued their opinion. Bonnie was obviously suffering from Stockholm syndrome accompanied with PTSD. This put Bonnie in an unstable and dangerous frame of mind from which she could not tell friend from foe.

Just after Kim left her, Bonnie had overheard a couple of agents talking about preparing to transport Shego. She picked up enough to know where to go and approximately when. She managed to make her way to the transport vehicles. Bonnie apparently used her telekinetic powers to free Shego. Once out of her restraints Shego let loose several salvos of energy bolts destroying a couple of the transport vehicles. After that the account became jumbled and confused. In the chaos Shego and Bonnie had gotten into a surviving car and fled the scene. The vehicle was found abandoned a few hours later. Bonnie and Shego were still at large, still out there. A witch-hunt would predictably follow. Kim thought her head would probably be one of the first on the chopping block. There was no evidence she did anything wrong so legal action wasn't very likely. However, she suspected that as long as acting Director Lindsay was in charge she wouldn't be working with GJ… so much for that safe little office with the window plant.

Kim was exhausted, totally drained, physically, mentally and emotionally. She couldn't yet articulate the reason but Bonnie's sudden duplicity had stung her deeply. The venom was now burning in her vanes. She felt angry, she felt helpless, most of all she felt betrayed. Betrayed by the brown haired girl who shouldn't hold such power over her. The question was why she was feeling this way at all. She didn't share any special connection with Bonnie. She had no reason to trust her and yet she had. Though Kim didn't want to admit it the real problem was she allowed herself to pity Bonnie, to feel bad for her because of the way Shego was using her. Kim had let Bonnie get under her skin and now there was no telling how many people would pay for her mistake.

Ron and Yori were preparing to return to Japan together. Ron said he had promised to return and help the Yamanouchi School. They had offered to get her home but she declined. She didn't want to be cramped in an airplane with the two of them. She was exhausted, sore, and filled with self-doubt. How could she have missed how messed up Bonnie was? She should have expected Bonnie would be unstable. She felt guilty for leaving her, for not telling the acting Director to shove it. The thoughts troubled Kim so much that there was only one person she wanted to see. One person she wanted to wrap her arms around and feel their arms around her. Monique always seemed to know just what to say, or what to do, to calm her down and restore some of her confidence. Kim missed Monique, far more then she would have thought possible.

_Anything is possible for a possible._ Kim heard her Dad's voice in her head. She had always taken the family motto as a source of inspiration. She was the girl who could do anything. However, perhaps there were deeper implications. If she could do anything then anything could happen to her as well. Anything was possible… anything… the thought rattled around inside her head. A knot began to form in the pit of Kim's stomach. Something, she wasn't sure what, was filling her with an inexplicable sense of dread and it had started while she was thinking about Monique.

_Anything is possible_. This time she felt it was Shego's voice whispering the words. She could almost feel the puff of Shego's breath on her neck the hiss as she pronounced "Possible. Shego and Monique, two people who shouldn't exist together in her thoughts, it meant something bad, it meant death.

Kim took out her Kimmunicator and dialed the number for the apartment. No answer. Kim checked her watch, Monique might still be at work. Kim called her cell phone. Monique's voice mail greeted her.

"Monique, listen to me, call the number I gave you for emergencies…" her hand holding the Kimmunicator shook slightly, she had broken out into a sweat.

"…ask for Special Agent Morgan, tell her who you are and that you're requesting a PPD. Please do this for me Monique. I promise I'll be home soon…" Kim found her voice wavering and did her best to strengthen it. "I love you." Kim hung up and stuffed the Kimmunicator back into her pocket. She jogged back to where Ron and Yori still stood talking. They turned toward her as she sped up to them. She must have looked as frantic as she felt because they looked at her as if she were a small crazed animal. Kim didn't care she took a moment to catch her breath before speaking.

"Is it too late to take you up on that ride?"

* * *

Kim approached the door with wary steps. She reached for the doorknob, but stopped short her hand hovering over the copper plated knob. The door to the apartment was cracked open slightly. Through the narrow slit Kim could see the broken door jam, the splintered wood. The door had been forced open, kicked in and then closed to avoid attracting attention. Kim's blood ran cold and she could feel her heart pounding against her ribs. She pulled Cora's gun from her belt and flattened herself against the wall next to the door. She nudged the door open with the tip of her boot and then swung into the doorway pistol ready. The inside of the apartment was chaos. Chairs lay overturned on their backs. Broken glass from a vase of flowers and blood, a thin trail of blood among the glass shards led away toward the bedroom. Kim had to suppress the urge to charge into the apartment. She finished her sweep of the room before moving slowly and silently into the apartment keeping her back to the wall Kim circled around to the bathroom and checked inside… empty. Continuing in the same way Kim moved to the kitchen. Like the bathroom, it too was empty except for more broken glass from shattered plates and drinking glasses. Kim's eyes darted back to the blood trail and followed it to the bedroom. The door was open but it was dark inside and she couldn't see anything. Training the pistol on the doorway Kim spoke as loud as she dared. "Monique?" There was no answer. Moving forward Kim settled against the wall next to the bedroom door.

"Monique?" She tried again. Still nothing. Kim moved into the doorway and swept the room. At first, she didn't see anything, but then she noticed Monique's nightstand was bare. Her phone and her alarm clock were missing. Kim slowly entered the room. Her eyes fixed on the unfolding floor as she came around the bed. Kim froze. Monique lay motionless, facedown next to the bed. The carpet under her was stained red with blood.

"Monique!" Kim raced to her side scooping the woman into her arms. Kim checked for a pulse and was relieved to feel a faint thudding against her fingertips. Monique was a live, for the moment anyway. She had been badly beaten and there were some bad cuts on her hands and wrists. That was where she was bleeding. The phone and alarm clock lay in a heap on the floor. Kim guessed Monique had dragged herself into the bedroom hoping to pull the phone down so she could call for help. But must have blacked out before she could. Kim pulled her shirt off and ripped off a few strips of fabric, which she tightly wound over the worst of Monique's wounds. Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator and called Wade.

"Hey Kim, What's up?" He answered.

"Wade call EMS and the Pollice Monique's been attacked." Kim said.

"What?"

"Monique's been attacked she need's medical attention call the damn EMS!" Kim shouted.

"I'll have them there in seconds." Wade's image winked out. Seconds might as well have been hours to Kim. She held Monique in her arms and tried to hold back the tears she could feel building in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Kim whispered. "I was supposed to protect you… and I… I'm sorry." The tears came, flowing down her cheeks. She could hear sirens now, distant but getting louder.

"I swear…" Kim said. "I swear I'll find whoever did this to you…" but she already knew. Who else could it have been? Bonnie and Shego wanted to make this personal? Fine, it was personal. The sirens were close now. Kim brushed some hair from Monique's face and smiled down at her.

"I'll find them and I will make them pay."

End of book one.

* * *

Author's Note:

I hope you have enjoyed this story. I have been working on it for a long time and it has grown from a simple short story to something much more complex. This ending was especially hard and I rewrote it several times. While some may not like the choice Bonnie ultimately makes I felt it was the most true to the character I had written.

I am still working on Book Two and hope to start posting it very soon. I appreciate all you're feedback so please leave me a review. A special thanks goes out to everyone who has already done so.


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